Avoiding getting robbed on vacation

Looking forward to getting away for a vacation?  Most of us do - it's a time of relaxation, rejuvenation and for making memories.  The one thing we don't want is to be coming home to a break and enter - with our possessions destroyed or stolen. 

Here are a few tips on how to prevent it happening:

1.  Make sure that you buy light timers for key rooms of your house.  Light timers can be pre-set to go on and off at certain times to make your home look lived in.

2.  If you have newspaper or milk delivery, ask them to stop delivering for the time that you will be away.

3.  For junk mail - which we all receive almost daily on our doorsteps - ask a trusted neighbour to pick it up and dispose of it in the recycling box.

4.  Ask your trusted neighbour if they would like to use your recycling bags & boxes and put them out & return them where they belong once per week while you are gone.

5.  Have a friend or neighbour drop by to pick up your mail or consider having a mail slot installed in your front door.

6.  Make sure that your children, if you have any, do not tell all their friends & acquaintences that you will be going away.

7.  If you have a FaceBook or other such social networking account, do not post information about your holiday in advance.  Security is not tight enough on these sites and you could end up being robbed.

I hope that these hints will help you to enjoy your vacation and not worry about what's going on at home while you're gone!