Securing Your Home Before a Long Trip Away

An empty apartment is a different security problem than an occupied one. Nobody is there to notice a forced window, hear a suspicious noise, or collect the packages piling up at the door. A little preparation before a long trip closes the gaps that burglars look for.

This guide walks through a practical timeline: what to do a week before you leave, the final walkthrough, and what to check when you return.

A Week Before You Leave

Start with the hardware you have been meaning to fix. That sticky deadbolt, the window latch that never quite catches, the back door that needs a shoulder to close: fix them now, while there is time to call a locksmith if parts are needed. An empty home deserves doors that lock properly on the first try.

Pause your mail and any regular deliveries, or arrange for a neighbor to collect them. A week of packages at the door is the clearest possible signal that nobody is home. If you have a smart lock, this is also the time to review who has codes and remove any you no longer need.

Doors and Windows: The Final Walkthrough

The night before you leave, walk every room and check every opening. Lock all doors with the deadbolt thrown, not just the latch. Latch every window, including the ones you never open, and check basement or terrace doors that are easy to forget. It takes ten minutes and it is the highest-value security task on this list.

Do not hide a spare key outside. Not under the mat, not in the planter, not in the fake rock. Every hiding spot you can think of is one a burglar has already checked. If someone needs access while you are gone, hand them a key in person.

Keys and Access While You Are Gone

Choose one trusted person to hold a key and know your itinerary. One person, not three: the fewer keys in circulation, the better your control. Tell them what to do if something goes wrong, a burst pipe or a tripped alarm, and make sure they can reach you.

If you use a pet sitter, house cleaner, or plant waterer, give them the minimum access they need. A smart lock with a temporary code that expires the day you return is ideal: no physical key to retrieve, no wondering whether a copy was made. Delete the code when you are home.

Making the Place Look Lived-In

The goal is to break the pattern of emptiness. Timers on a few interior lights, set to your normal evening routine, are the classic and still effective move. Leave a car in the driveway if you have one, or ask a neighbor to park there occasionally.

Keep the exterior tidy before you go: mow the lawn, bring in anything that signals an extended absence. Inside, close the blinds most of the way but not fully; a fully shuttered house looks as empty as a wide-open one. Small inconsistencies in the routine are what make a place look occupied.

When You Get Back

On return, do a quick check before settling in: doors and windows as you left them, no signs of forced entry, valuables where they should be. If anything looks wrong, do not go inside; call the police from outside and wait.

After a long trip, it is also a natural moment to review your key situation. If anyone had access while you were away whom you will not use again, rekeying those locks resets your security cleanly. It is a quick job and it means the next trip starts from a known-good state.