When I was a kid, my pre-vacation ritual was washing and waxing my Dad’s car. I follow the same routine today. Why I feel compelled to have a clean and shiny vehicle before I face the grime, dust, mud, and suicidal bugs of Interstate travel is beyond me. But, it’s my habit…and I’m sticking with it.

Adulthood forced me to adopt some additional pre-vacation habits. Since bad guys roam every neighborhood, I make it a point to follow a routine for home security. Here are a few suggestions for your pre-vacation home security checklist:

• If you have an alarm system, activate it! (Doh.)
• Cheaper technology can include timers on a few lights in the house. Set them to turn on at dusk and off at dawn.
• I like leaving a radio on. If the lights don’t turn away the crooks maybe Lady Gaga will.
• Check all the doors and windows and make sure they’re locked and secure. Garage door too.
• Stop the newspaper delivery.
• Tell your neighbors that you’ll be gone and give them your cell phone number. Ask them to hang on to your mail and any other deliveries if you’ll be away for more than a couple of days.
• Don’t leave the house for an extended period of time with the dishwasher or clothes washer running. You do not want to come home to a week-old plumbing failure.
• Don’t hide your house key outside. Burglars know all the hiding places.
• Your new 60” flat screen does not need to visible from the street. Move it…or close the blinds.
• Don’t park your trash cans and recycling bins in front of your house for a week. Ask the neighbors to return them to their rightful spots…or skip a week.

One other suggestion: Before you wax the car…before you pack the suitcases…have an insurance review. If something bad happens while you’re gone, you should at least have good coverage.

What pre-vacation home security tips can you share?

By Tom Gongaware