{"id":154,"date":"2010-12-14T17:39:52","date_gmt":"2010-12-14T22:39:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/?p=154"},"modified":"2011-10-04T14:09:04","modified_gmt":"2011-10-04T18:09:04","slug":"do-it-yourself-home-security-10-tips-for-the-absentee-homeowner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/do-it-yourself-home-security-10-tips-for-the-absentee-homeowner\/","title":{"rendered":"Do It Yourself Home Security: 10 Tips for the Absentee Homeowner"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you are like most people, you\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2re concerned about intruders getting into your house when you leave it empty and unattended.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 The threat of a burglary or other disaster is a constant worry for the absentee homeowner.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 Fortunately, there are many easy and effective ways you can safeguard your property which don\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2t involve hiring one of those expensive home security monitoring services.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 Here\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s a handy do-it-yourself home security checklist you can print out and refer to each time you are going away:<\/p>\n

1.\"Do<\/a> Secure and lock all doors, windows and garage doors.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 Install deadbolts on doors for added reinforcement and install dowel rods into the track of your double-hung windows or sliding doors to make them more difficult to open.<\/p>\n

2. \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0Partially close blinds, drapes and shades to make it difficult for intruders to look in while still giving the impression that the house is occupied.<\/p>\n

3. \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0Set automatic timers to turn lights, radios and\/or TV sets on and off at varying times of day and night so it appears that someone is in house.<\/p>\n

4. \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0Good exterior lighting is key to deter break-ins.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 Install spotlights and floodlights to illuminate potential hiding places for burglars and put them on timers.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 Lighting fixtures with motion detectors are also recommended.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 There are also video surveillance kits<\/a> that allow you to remotely monitor your home and property through live or playback video that you can watch over the internet or even via a smartphone.<\/p>\n

5. \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0Alert trusted neighbors that you will be away.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 It you are going to be away for more than a few days, ask one of them to stop by to check on the house at least once a week.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 Request that they call 911 to report any suspicious goings-on at your house that they observe.<\/p>\n

6. \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0Also alert your local police department of your vacation plans and give them a phone number where you can be reached in case of an emergency.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 If you would prefer to be alerted directly and instantly of a burglary in your home, you could install a DIY wireless security system<\/a> that will contact you on your cell phone if there is a break-in or disturbance.<\/p>\n

7. \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0Stop mail and newspaper delivery.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 If you will be gone for an extended period of time, consider having the post office forward your first class mail so you can stay current on your bills.<\/p>\n

8. \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0Arrange for lawn mowing, leaf removal, snow plowing and snow shoveling to give the impression that your home is active and lived in.<\/p>\n

9. \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0Hide all expensive items and lock up any valuables or move them off-site.<\/p>\n

10. \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0Keep your travel plans confidential.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 Don\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2t post your plans on Facebook or other social networking websites and risk alerting potential thieves.<\/p>\n

Follow these do-it-yourself home security steps to protect your home before you leave on that weekend escape or a three-month respite and you\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2ll appreciate the peace of mind you have knowing that your home and property are properly safeguarded.<\/p>\n

Tell us your favorite Do-It-Yourself Home Security tips in the comments!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There are many easy and effective ways you can safeguard your property which don\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2t involve hiring one of those expensive home security monitoring services. Here\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s a handy do-it-yourself home security checklist you can print out and refer to each time you are going away.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[21,23,20,22],"class_list":["post-154","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-home-monitoring-security","tag-diy-home-security-2","tag-diy-wireless-security-system","tag-do-it-yourself-home-security","tag-video-surveillance-kits","clearfix"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/154","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=154"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/154\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":166,"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/154\/revisions\/166"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=154"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=154"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=154"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}