How to Secure Your Home While on Vacation

Leaving with a baby or toddler already means checking bags, bottles, snacks, medicines, and travel documents. Add one simple home-security routine, and you can leave without wondering if you forgot something important. Work through the checks in the same order each time: entry points, signs of activity, security system, deliveries, indoor risks, then online privacy.

Secure every door, window, and other entry point

Start with the outside shell of your home. A locked front door isn't enough if a side window, garage door, or back entrance is still open.

Use this entry-point check:

• [ ] Lock the front, back, and side doors.
• [ ] Check every ground-floor window.
• [ ] Lock upstairs windows too, especially if they are easy to reach.
• [ ] Close and lock the garage door.
• [ ] Lock the door that leads from the garage into the house.
• [ ] Secure patio doors and sliding doors.
• [ ] Check basement doors, cellar windows, and other less-used openings.
• [ ] Close pet doors or any small opening that leads indoors.
• [ ] Make sure spare keys aren't sitting in an obvious outdoor spot.

Don't rely on habit. Physically test each handle before you leave. This is especially useful when you're carrying a tired toddler, loading the car, or making one last trip inside for a forgotten toy.

Windows are easy to miss because they're often shut but not locked. Walk from room to room and touch the lock on each one. Check curtains and blinds as well. You don't need to make every window look exactly the same, but avoid leaving one wide open or visibly different from the others.

If your home has a security system, check that doors and windows included in the system are closed before you arm it. If someone is staying at the house, make sure they know which entry points they can use and how to disarm the system.

Don't forget the less-used doors

Families tend to focus on the front door. The garage, side entrance, garden gate, and basement can slip through the cracks because you may not use them every day.

Make those part of your regular departure route. Walk the outside of the house once, then walk through the inside. This two-pass check is easier to follow than trying to remember every lock while the car is already packed.

Make the house look occupied while you are away

An empty, dark house can make your absence more obvious. The goal isn't to make the property look busy. It is to avoid clear signs that nobody is home.

Put interior lights on timers

Set timers for one or more interior lights before you leave. The ranking guidance for vacation security repeatedly recommends timed lights because they create activity at different points during the evening.

Avoid switching on every light at once. A more natural setup is to have lights come on in rooms people normally use, such as a living room or hallway. If you use smart lights instead of plug-in timers, check the schedule before leaving and make sure the correct time zone is set.

Do a quick test while you're still home. It's much easier to fix a timer when you're standing in the room than after the car has pulled away.

Keep the outside from looking forgotten

Ask someone you trust to keep an eye on obvious outdoor signs of absence. Depending on your home, that might mean:

• Bringing in items left at the door
• Moving bins when needed
• Checking for papers or flyers
• Reporting anything that looks out of place

If a friend, relative, or sitter has permission to visit, tell them how to enter and who else may be stopping by. Keep the plan simple. Parents already have enough moving parts on travel day.

Security signage can also show that a home uses a security system. It should match the system you actually have. The point is to make your security setup visible, not to add signs that don't reflect what is in place.

Set up or check your home security system

A home security system can bring several checks into one routine. Before you leave, make sure it is installed, powered, and ready for the way your home will be used while you're gone.

Run through the basics:

• [ ] Check that the control panel or app connects as expected.
• [ ] Confirm that doors and windows included in the system are shut.
• [ ] Arm the system using the setting you need.
• [ ] Check that any cameras point at the areas you want to monitor.
• [ ] Make sure trusted people know how to respond if an alert appears.
• [ ] Put security system signage where it can be seen, if you use it.

If someone will visit the home, explain the alarm routine before your departure. Write down the steps if needed. A short note can help a grandparent, babysitter, or neighbor avoid setting off the alarm by mistake.

There isn't one universally best home security system for every vacation home. The supplied guidance supports installing and checking a system, but it doesn't name a specific product or compare systems. Choose based on what you can set up, check, and explain clearly before you go.

A system only helps if you remember to arm it. Add that step to the same list as locking the door and turning off the lights.

Pause mail, deliveries, and visible signs of absence

A full mailbox or packages sitting outside can make it clear that nobody is checking the home. Before you leave, pause mail and deliveries for the period you're away.

• [ ] Put a hold on mail if that service is available to you.
• [ ] Reschedule regular deliveries.
• [ ] Cancel or pause subscriptions that may arrive while you're gone.
• [ ] Move any package already waiting at the door.
• [ ] Ask a trusted person to collect anything that cannot be paused.

Check more than the front step. Look at the side entrance, garage, and any other place a courier might leave a parcel. If you have a delivery arriving that can't be changed, arrange for someone to bring it inside.

Avoid leaving written notes on the door that explain when you'll return. Give instructions directly to the person helping you instead. That keeps the plan between the people who need to know.

You can also ask a neighbor to contact you if mail, packages, or anything unusual appears. Share only the details they need, such as how long you'll be away and how to reach you.

Protect the inside of the house from electrical and fire risks

Home security is also about leaving the inside safe. Before switching to “vacation mode,” check smoke alarms and reduce avoidable electrical risks.

Test the smoke alarms

Test every smoke alarm before you leave. This is one of the indoor checks recommended in the ranking guidance. Walk through the home and use each alarm's test button rather than assuming it is working.

If an alarm needs attention, deal with it before departure. Don't put the check off until you return.

Unplug what you don't need

Unplug items that don't need to stay powered while the house is empty. This can include small appliances, chargers, entertainment equipment, and other devices you won't use during the trip.

Keep essential equipment connected if it needs power. The goal is to remove unnecessary electrical items, not to switch off anything your home needs to operate.

Power surges are another reason to review what stays plugged in. Protect the home against power surges as part of your vacation setup, then unplug items that can safely be disconnected. If you use timers or a security system, leave those devices connected as needed so they can do their job.

Before you leave, check for:

• [ ] Appliances or chargers that can be unplugged
• [ ] Power strips that don't need to stay on
• [ ] Smoke alarms that have been tested
• [ ] Interior light timers that are set correctly
• [ ] Any essential device that must remain powered

Keep this part of the checklist separate from the locks. You can secure every door perfectly and still forget a light timer or a plugged-in appliance.

Avoid sharing vacation plans online

Public posts can tell people that your home is empty, even when you share them with good intentions. Avoid announcing your travel dates, destination, or return date publicly before or during the trip.

That includes posts, stories, public event pages, and photos that clearly show you are away. A photo from the airport or a caption about leaving the house empty gives away more than a simple holiday picture shared later.

You can still send updates privately to close family or trusted friends. Check who can see your posts before sharing, and avoid tagging your home address or giving details about how long the house will be unattended.

This is a simple privacy step that fits neatly into your departure routine: set your phone to travel mode, then leave the social announcement for later.

Use a final departure-day security checklist

The last hour before a family trip can feel rushed. Put the list somewhere visible, such as by the front door, and have one adult read each item aloud while the other checks it.

Entry points

• [ ] Front, back, side, and garage doors are locked.
• [ ] The door between the garage and house is locked.
• [ ] All windows are closed and locked.
• [ ] Patio, basement, and other less-used openings are secure.
• [ ] Pet doors and small access points are closed.
• [ ] Spare keys are not left in obvious outdoor places.

Signs of activity

• [ ] Interior light timers are set and tested.
• [ ] Outdoor signs of absence are handled.
• [ ] A trusted person knows about necessary visits.
• [ ] Security signage is in place if you use it.

System and deliveries

• [ ] The home security system is checked and armed.
• [ ] Approved visitors know how to enter and handle the alarm.
• [ ] Mail is paused.
• [ ] Deliveries are paused, moved, or assigned to someone trusted.

Indoor safety

• [ ] Smoke alarms have been tested.
• [ ] Unneeded devices are unplugged.
• [ ] Power-surge protection has been considered.
• [ ] Essential equipment remains powered.

Privacy

• [ ] Vacation plans are not posted publicly.
• [ ] Any travel updates are limited to trusted people.
• [ ] No note on the door reveals your schedule.

Take one last look around after the checklist is complete. Then lock the final door yourself. That small habit gives you a clear finish line instead of leaving you wondering later which tasks someone else handled.

What to do with your house when you go on vacation: quick answers

What houses do burglars avoid?

The supplied guidance doesn't identify a specific type of house that burglars avoid. It focuses on homes that look occupied, have locked doors and windows, use a home security system or visible security signage, and don't publicly announce that the occupants are away.

So focus on those practical signals rather than trying to make your home look unusual.

What is the best home security system for a vacation home?

No single system is named as the best. The useful advice is to install and check a home security system, make sure it is ready before you leave, and use security signage if it fits your setup. A system you can operate and explain clearly is more useful than one you haven't tested.

How do you protect your home from thieves when you are away?

Start with every entry point. Lock doors and windows, secure the garage and other less-used openings, set interior light timers, pause mail and deliveries, and check your security system. Keep vacation plans private online.

What should you do with your house when you go on vacation?

Use the checklist: lock the home, make it look occupied, pause deliveries, test smoke alarms, protect against power surges, unplug items you don't need, check the security system, and avoid public travel announcements.

Save or print this departure checklist before your next family trip. Then you can focus on the car ride, the snacks, and the toddler who suddenly needs one more bathroom stop. For practical family travel tips and toddler footwear guidance, continue to Baby Sock Shoe.