9 Easy Tricks to Make It Look Like You’re Home When You’re Not

Finally taking that much-needed vacation? Ensure you can fully unwind by setting up your home for security success while you’re away. These methods for making it look like you’re home when you're traveling are so convincing that your closest neighbors won’t know you’ve left. For peace of mind and protection against potential burglaries, take these measures to safeguard your home while you’re away.

1. Use Motion-Activated Lighting

Automatic lights serve multiple purposes to make it look like you’re home when you’re not. First, motion sensor outdoor lights illuminate your home’s exterior, helping to ward off trespassers. Secondly, automatic interior lights simulate a person coming and going from room to room, making it appear that someone is in the house.

2. Install Smart Security Devices

If you don’t already have motion-sensor cameras or a video doorbell, consider installing them before you head out on your trip. You can find high-quality motion sensor cameras that alert your phone via a Wi-Fi connection for less than $50 and with no monthly fee, immediately letting you know if someone is on your property.

3. Play Music on Your Smart Speaker

Most smart speakers can be programmed to play music or the radio at scheduled times, giving the illusion that someone is turning it on and off throughout the day. Just be sure to set the volume loud enough to be heard outside the home, but not become a nuisance.

4. Manage Mail and Package Deliveries

Nothing screams “I’m not home!” like an overflowing mailbox or a pile of packages on the porch. Contact the postal service ahead of time to stop any deliveries, and reach out to a friend or neighbor to collect your deliveries until you return.

5. Park a Car

If you are taking your car on your trip, ask a trusted neighbor to park in your driveway until you return. Just be sure to return the favor when they go on vacation.

6. Put Up Security System Signs

You don’t actually need a security system to benefit from added peace of mind. Simply placing security system signs and stickers, especially around key entrances to your home, is often enough to deter most potential break-ins.

7. Schedule Lawn Maintenance

Just like an overflowing mailbox, an overgrown lawn is a key indicator that someone isn’t home. This is exaggerated if your lawn is typically well-maintained.

If you’re only taking a short trip, mowing the lawn right before you leave is probably all you need to do. However, if you’ll be away for an extended period, consider asking a neighbor or friend to tend to your lawn while you’re gone or schedule lawn maintenance with a company beforehand.

8. Don’t Shut All the Blinds

Shutting all your curtains and blinds, especially if you don’t usually do so, can tip off a criminal that there’s no one home. Your best bet is to leave them open if that’s how you normally keep them.

9. Turn On the TV

Turning on the TV while you’re away is the oldest trick in the book, but the lights and sounds are convincing. Take it a step further by using a smart TV with an auto-on and auto-off feature, and schedule the TV to turn on and off at specific times to make it appear as if someone is controlling it.

Other Ways to Protect Your Home While You’re Away

To keep your home free from intrusion while you’re on holiday, follow these tips:

• Keep your vacation plans to yourself. While it might be tempting to tell everyone you know how excited you are to go on vacation, it’s best to keep it to yourself. Refrain from sharing vacation pictures online until after you get back.
• Ask neighbors to keep an eye out. If you have a trusted neighbor, ask them to keep an eye on your home while you’re away and attend to any obvious daily home tasks until you return.
• Hire a house sitter. If you really want it to look like you’re home when you’re not, hire someone to stay at your house while you’re on vacation. In addition to watching over the house, they can take care of the plants, check the mail, and more, circumventing the need to schedule other services.