Are you preparing for a long-awaited vacation? If your home will be empty during your absence, make sure you don't get any unpleasant surprises on your way back from your trip. Burglaries are most common in the summer months when people are most away from home, but many other risks should also be taken into account before you leave your home, especially if you will not be away for a long time, such as a malfunction in electrical installations, burst pipes in the home, lightning strikes, storms...

Lowered blinds and light indicate that no one is home

While you are resting, the thief's season begins! So that you don't get a surprise on your return from vacation, find a trusted person who will occasionally visit your home, turn on the light, collect mail and give the impression that someone is present.

Lowered blinds, drawn curtains, darkness and an overcrowded mailbox send a clear message to the burglar that no one is home, so if you have not been in the habit of assigning someone to take care of your apartment or house while you are away, be sure to do it. Security doors and cameras and additionally secured windows on the house also repel thieves, so if you don't have them, consider these extra security measures, especially if you are often away from home.

Move money and valuables to the bank

There is no more terrible feeling than when you return home and realize that someone unknown has usurped your space, disturbed your intimacy and shaken the sense of security you had at home. People who have experienced it say that they have taken it much harder than the loss of valuable property.

If you have the opportunity, get a security door and an alarm. Such protection repels thieves. Move valuables and money from the apartment to the bank.

The key doesn't belong under the doormat

Do not leave the key under the mat, in a flower pot next to the entrance to the house or in some similar place where the thief will look first so that he may save himself the trouble of breaking the lock. Rather, leave it to a neighbor you trust. Someone needs to water your flowers and feed your cat from time to time anyway, if you have one. It is another good reason to maintain such good neighborly relations. Your home can also be endangered by an accident such as a broken pipe, short circuit... So it's good that someone can enter the apartment while you're away and call for help in time.

Turn off electrical appliances

Before leaving, be sure to turn off all electrical appliances (washing machines or dishwashers, stove, TV, air conditioning, dryer, router, modem....) All electrical appliances consume electricity even when they are not switched on, and if you turn them off, in addition to saving electricity, you will also prevent the damage that electrical appliances can suffer from an indirect lightning strike.

Also turn off lamps, mobile phone chargers and all small household appliances to prevent a fire in the event of a short circuit. Turn off all lights and turn on the taps. Be sure to screw on the main water valve.