Take some time before you leave on vacation to make your home less vulnerable to burglars and you’ll be able to enjoy your trip that much more:
1. Install dead-bolt window and door locks. They make it more difficult for someone to break in. Ask your agent if you can get a homeowners insurance discount for installing them.
2. Burglar alarms are the best way to alert emergency personal that there’s a problem. Installing one could net you a discount of 15 to 20 percent on your homeowners insurance, a savings of $100 to $140 a year for the average homeowner.
3. Make sure all entry doors have the hinges on the inside. Replacing the front door with a steel model boasts a solid 85 percent return on value, according to Remodeling Magazine’s Cost vs. Value report.
4. Keep your computers off and the Internet disconnected. If someone does break in they won’t be able to access your information and cause more damage.
5. Don’t give burglars the tools to break into your home. Put ladders, crow bars and anything else a burglar could use to break a window in a locked shed.
6. Put a timer on the TV as well as the lights. Nothing says you’re home like the flickering lights of a TV.
7. Install a fake security camera on the outside of your home. Amazon.com sells a dummy camera for about $10. Put it up high so it’s harder to tell it’s fake.
Powered by HomeActions for Laura S. Rossinow, Broker/Agent, Keller Williams Realty, Newton, MA