Anatomy of a Safe Home during Summer Travel

As June kicks off and Memorial Day is in the rearview mirror, the summer travel season is officially underway. Up ahead? San Francisco residents will be joining millions of people nationwide in traveling to explore new places or revisit their favorite ones.


Before you leave for your eagerly awaited trip, SF SAFE has a brush up on protecting your home against burglary so that your vacation is worry-free. Here are some steps to take to help keep your home secure while you’re out and about—and to make sure burglars don’t even know you’re gone.

Don’t Advertise It: Avoid advertising you’re leaving on vacation and that your house will be empty. Load your luggage in your garage or at a time when people aren’t around.


Social Media: Along the same lines of “don’t advertise,” is don’t post on social media about your trip in advance or while it’s underway; leave it until after you’ve returned home.


Lock Up: It goes without saying, but we’ll say it anyway: Before you leave on your trip, make sure to lock all of your doors and windows—this includes pet doors and sliding glass doors. Open windows are a favorite entry point for home burglars.


Secure Your Property: Be sure to turn on your home security system before you go. Place your valuables in a safe or safety deposit box and remember to secure items like patio furniture, tools, etc.


Inventory: Mark your valuables with your CA driver’s license number in case identification and recovery is needed. Keep an inventory of them that includes serial numbers and photos.


Lights: Put your house lights, TV and radios on intermittent timers to signify inside activity. Installing motion-sensitive lights outdoors is also a great deterrent to would-be home burglars.


Neighbors: Ask a trusted neighbor to keep an eye on your house and to park a car in your driveway if possible. Be sure to give them your emergency contact info.

Mail: Have your mail/newspaper delivery stopped and arrange for neighbors to pick up any fliers and packages that might be delivered. Deliveries left by your front door signal to a burglar that your home is unoccupied.


Drapes & Shades: Be sure your drapes and/or shades are all closed to deter prying eyes.


Extra Key: Don’t leave a spare key hidden outside your home—thieves know all the hiding places.


Another layer of protection against home burglary is setting up an appointment for one of SF SAFE’s security specialists to visit your home to do a free security assessment. Click here to get started today…and, happy travels!