Secure your sliding glass doors, too. Leaving those unlocked is just like leaving your front door unlocked.

If you just moved into a new home, consider re-keying all the locks.

If there are any windows in your home that don’t have blinds, like your garage windows or your basement windows, get blinds for them right away.

If you need a set of keys outside, consider locking them in a lock box instead of hiding them around your home.

If you have a sign in your yard, be sure to keep it clean, and make sure it doesn’t fall over. Thieves are only deterred by signs that look well-kept, not ones that are old and falling apart.

While just leaving your lights on when you’re gone might seem like a good solution, seasoned burglars know that lights being on 24/7 means that no one is home.

Feel free to post pics from your vacation after you’re home!

Don’t have a friend to house-sit? Sign up for a house-sitting service, like TrustedHouseSitters.

In the United States, you can go online to USPS’s website and submit an authorization form to pause your mail.

Home security systems are great for catching burglars, too. If you get a burglar on video, you can give that video to the police for identification. Camera door bells are the most minimal type of security you can add to your home. [15] X Research source Popular home alarm services include SimpliSafe, ADT, Ring, and Vivint. [16] X Research source