Short answer
Before a trip, lock every entry including the garage, set the alarm, stop mail, put lights on varied timers, and tell only a trusted neighbor. For a second home that sits empty, add regular visits, outside maintenance, and a monitored system that reports break-ins as well as leaks, low temperature, and smoke while you are away.
In this article
How do you secure your home before going on vacation?
Before going on vacation, lock every door and window, including the garage and any door between the garage and the house, and set the alarm if you have one. Stop or redirect mail and deliveries, put indoor lights on timers, and ask a trusted neighbor to keep an eye on the house and remove anything left at the door.
A short walk around the house before leaving can catch many of the gaps: a window opened for air and never closed, a side gate left unlatched, a ladder against the shed. Unplug the garage door opener or lock the overhead door if no one will use it, and take spare keys out of their usual hiding places. If the alarm has contacts listed for emergencies, check that at least one of them will be reachable and nearby while you are gone.
How do you make a house look lived in while you are away?
To make a house look lived in, keep the outside looking the way it does when you are home. Lights should switch on and off at varied times in different rooms, the lawn or snow should be handled, and mail and packages should not pile up. A neighbor's car in the driveway also helps.
The detail that gives most empty houses away is sameness. A single lamp that turns on at the same minute every evening, closed blinds that never move, and a porch light burning through the day all suggest no one is home. Smart plugs and timers with a random setting help, and outdoor lights on a dusk-to-dawn sensor avoid the daytime porch light. The trade-offs between steady and motion lighting are covered in our comparison of motion-activated and dusk-to-dawn security lights.
Should you tell people when you are away?
Tell the people who need to know and no one else. A trusted neighbor, a family member, and your alarm monitoring contacts should know your dates and how to reach you. Travel photos and check-ins are safer to post after you are home, since public posts can show anyone that the house is empty.
The same caution applies to voicemail greetings, away messages, and public event calendars. On the other side, the people who do know should know enough to help: where the spare key is, how to disarm and rearm the alarm, and whom to call if something looks wrong.
How do you protect a second or vacation home that sits empty?
To protect a second or vacation home, plan for long periods with no one there. Secure entry points as you would at home, arrange regular visits from someone you trust, keep the outside maintained, and use a monitored system so problems are reported while you are away. Water, heat, and power issues matter as much as break-ins.
A second home is visibly empty for weeks or months, so occupancy tricks only go so far. What matters more is that someone finds out quickly when something changes. A local caretaker or neighbor who checks the house on a schedule, walks every room, and runs the taps covers a lot. Shutting off the main water supply when the house is closed for the season reduces the damage a burst pipe can do, where the heating system allows it.
What should a monitored system cover in a home that is often empty?
A monitored system in a home that is often empty should cover entry, with door and window sensors and motion detection, and environmental risks, such as water leaks, low temperature, smoke, and carbon monoxide. Ask the provider how the system communicates if power or internet fails, and who is called when no one is local.
The contact list matters as much as the sensors. A monitoring center can only reach the people on the list, so a second home needs at least one contact close enough to check on it. Professional alarm monitoring sets out that procedure in advance, so everyone knows what happens when a signal comes in. For securing the house itself, see our guide to preventing home break-ins.