NORTH WILDWOOD — Where did the summer go? It seems like just a few weeks ago that you came down to open your home and now it is time to do some closing chores.
Due to the number of break-ins reported, it is more important than ever to think about security when you close your vacation property. Last spring many people returned to their shore homes to find the flat screen TV missing, the home ransacked and so on.
Burglars don’t like work and they don’t want problems so they look for the weak spot. Some of these guidelines are needed whether you are going to work for the day, a movie night, or away for the winter.
Joe Kash, is a retired police officer, crime prevention specialist and owner of Housewatching4U, a Cape May County House Watching service, “I want to open owners’ eyes and minds to security,” he stated in a release.
Right from the start, stand back and take a look at your home. Does it say vacant all over it? Are there newspapers all over the lawn? Even after you stop the mail and newspaper deliveries, you need to care for the circulars and fliers people leave. Is the lawn cut? Has the lawn furniture blown over? These are just some of the signs burglars look for as they drive and case an area. Stop as many deliveries as possible while you are away.
Blinds: Do not leave them fully open or fully closed. Try making it looked “lived in” to the average person. You want to let light in as well as light out.
Phone: If you can, forward the number to your winter residence. Do not put the message on your answering machine…. “Hi, we are gone for the season” as some people do.
A good standard non-info reply is “We can’t get to the phone right now” or something along that line. It is even better yet if you can put your shore phone on call forwarding!
Timers: Buy a few. They are a cheap investment. Some of the new ones even have a switch to stagger the times so that light does not go on every day at 5 and go off at 11, but rather stagger the times by like five to 15 minutes either way of the set time.
Use a few to give the impression of movement. Have a living room light come on first, then a bedroom and so on. Another option is to also add a radio or a TV set onto the timers. A cheap investment but pays big rewards.
Locks: Double-check all the windows in the home to be sure they are closed as well as locked. Another weak spot on many homes it the sliding patio doors. At the very least block the slider with a board or broom handle cut to size. Another weakness many overlook is an attached garage. Put a pin in the roller track of the garage door to prevent to door from going up. Some owners also pin the garage window closed. Install a deadbolt lock on all exit doors and garage door as well.
Lights: Depending on your location, lights might play an important role in your protection. Do you have a dark side of your home under normal conditions?
Maybe consider an outside flood light on a photocell switch. Light is the enemy of burglars.
Water: Turn off the ice maker. Then turn off the water at the meter. This will protect you from a water leak in the entire home rather than shutting off different valves.
Flush the toilets and then go around and add some antifreeze solution to all drains and traps in the home.
If you turn off your water at the meter, shut off the water heater as well. This is all if you do not have water heat!
House Numbers: Make sure you have reflective house numbers that are easy to see from the street in case the police, fire, or ambulance has to get to your home in a hurry. Remember they must be seen and readable from the street.
Sometimes this little time saver is important. This is important year round. I can’t tell you how many times, in an emergency situation, the lack of house address numbers caused a delay responding to a home.
Food: Remove as much food as possible from the home if you’re going for the season. The more things left equate to the greater chance of a pest problem.
Keys: Remove all your “secret” keys from under the mats, in that frog rock in the flower bed and so on. Second is if you have a trusted friend or neighbor in the area, leave a key with them for an emergency use.
Police: Notify the local police department when you are going away to place your home on the “away list.” Also note with them, who and a phone number of your emergency key holder in case it is needed.
Photos: Last step is to make a photo CD of your home and contents. This can be done best with two people. Take an outside shot of the sides. Then move in and go room by room.
Take pictures of your closets opened, the drawers opened on the bureaus, opened kitchen cabinets, any electronics, and so on as you walk room to room. Download them to a CD and keep in your winter home.
If needed for any insurance claim, the pictures will be invaluable proof of your claim. It will also be a great assist if you need to make a list or prove content for insurance.
Many of these steps do not really cost a lot of money to do. I just wanted to open the minds of many people that close up a shore home for the season.
Last but not least, if you have a security system…Use it. Just because you never had a problem before, why press your luck.
Every little bit helps in your protection plan. While the best alarm system in the world does not give you 100 percent protection, all you want to do is make your home just a little more difficult than the others.
Housewatching4U would be happy to serve as owners eyes & ears at the shore, saving you needless trips. See the Web site www.housewatching4u.com for details and helpful hints.
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