Keeping your home secure when you are away for work or vacation can be one of the most difficult things to do. It is easy enough to look for signs of trouble when you are home, but what about when you are thousands of miles away. Keeping the home secure while you are away is a vital part of any vacation plan.

Enlisting the help of neighbors is a good way to start. If you have a trusted neighbor, ask them to keep an eye on your home. You may want to give the neighbor your cell phone number and ask them to call in case of trouble. In addition, be sure to contact the post office and ask them to suspend mail delivery until you return. Burglars often cruise neighborhoods looking for mailboxes full of unopened mail, figuring that those homeowners are away. If you have the newspaper delivered, be sure to suspend that delivery as well.

One of the most vital parts of any home security planning is the lighting. Lighting is vital, whether you are at home or a thousand miles away. We have all seen those movies where the burglars watch all the lights in a home click on at once, and if you have every light in the house come on at the same time you may as well put up a sign asking criminals to break in to your home.

Fortunately, it is a very simple matter to put the lights on a timer, and to have them go on and off at random times throughout the day and night, just as they would when you are at home. Many of the newer homes even incorporate a