If you’re counting down the days before travelling home for the holidays, you’re not alone! Lazing about your childhood bedroom, eating hot dinners prepared by Cafe Mom and Dad…what’s not to love? Wouldn’t it be better, though, if you weren’t worrying about whether your apartment was going to be get broken into while you were out-of-town?
Follow These 5 Tips to Keep You and Your Apartment Safe:
1) When you are out of town, keep a light on
It sounds expensive, wasteful, even – but you can use a timer (which run less than $30). And, in the grand scheme of things, it can very well make the difference between coming home to your sweet, sweet independence – and coming home to an unwelcome surprise. Especially with the sun setting early, it can be very evident who is and who isn’t home, so take us up on this tip!
2) Let your neighbor(s) know when you will be out of town
On one hand, I can see this being a difficult tip because, how many of us city dwellers really know our neighbors? But, as plugged-in as we are Skyping with friends and family who live everywhere from Nebraska to Timbuktu – they’re rarely next door. And, convenience is valuable (see: Success of Mini-Mart). So, bake some cookies, wish your neighbor(s) a happy holiday and if they seem trustworthy, share holiday plans so you can watch out for one another… and your holiday packages!
3) Hold the Mayo – and the Mail
Even in this digital age, mail is still a good indicator to outside observers of whether a home/apt is being occupied. For apartments, your mailbox should be locked…but it can still overflow if you get a few too many magazines. If you’ll be home more than a week, ask the post office to hold your mail.
4) Consider your Car
If you aren’t driving home and own an auto…can you leave it on your street safety? This depends on your neighborhood, of course. But, many airports offer reasonable long-term parking, but if you’d prefer, ask a friend to car-sit. You’ll be giving added convenience to a pal and getting a safe car in return. This is an especially good option if you live with the curse of alternate side parking rules. Leaving your car for a week or more virtually guarantees that you’ll have a very expensive trip to the car pound when you return.
5) Be Careful About What You Publicly Post on Social Media
HI acquaintance who friended me after we split a cab home that one time. You’re loving the palm trees in Cali? How lovely for you. And, how lucky that I’m not someone who would ever consider burglarizing your apartment! Between 4sqr and Facebook places and people gushing about being home…social media is a bad decision central this time of year. So, please, be careful what you say…and to whom.
Do you have any tips for how to keep your apartment safe this holiday season? Share below!
