Unoccupied homes are the primary target for thieves & such burglaries cost consumers billions of dollars per year!
Take the necessary precautions to keep thieves away as you head out to play!
Here are some tips to help protect your home & your belongings:

• Lock doors & windows– this may seem like a no brainer, but is often overlooked. Be sure to lock the garage door & disconnect the electric garage opener as well
• Keep up driveway activity– ask a neighbor to park in your driveway
•  Be sure the mail and newspaper deliveries are handled– ask a neighbor to collect your mail or visit the USPS website to temporarily stop your mail while you are away
•  Do NOT announce your absence– yes, we all like to see your vacation photos on Facebook or hear about your trip on Twitter, but it is best to avoid letting others know you are away, including your “friends” on FB & other social media sites or your answering machine
• Keep up the outside appearance of your home– if your vacation will be keeping you away from home for an extended period of  time, be sure to hire someone or have a friend, relative or neighbor keep up with mowing your lawn or shoveling your snow if its a winter vacation
• Use automatic timers– set up to have the lights turned on and off just as you would do when you are home
• ….and as an extra precaution– you can tell the police of our absence as they will usually do an occasional drive-by on your behalf.

Though none of these precautions can guarentee your home’s safety, they can help to reduce the risk & help to keep thieves away.