| Whether you are away on business, taking a | | | | home while you are away. |
| vacation, away for the winter, selling your home, | | | | Also if you take the time to wash your front |
| or in between renters it pays to have your home | | | | windows just before you leave, sub-consciously |
| maintained and looked after while you are gone. | | | | that tells a passerby that the home is occupied. |
| Using a good house sitting service is one of the | | | | In the last decade insurance companies have |
| most affordable options out there. | | | | reported that there have been over $4 billion |
| Whether you are away for a week or a year, it | | | | worth of property loss and only 4% is due to |
| always pays to have your home inspected and | | | | theft. When looking for a good home watch |
| made to look lived in. Protect your home and | | | | company make sure that they also check on |
| possessions from vandalism and burglary by | | | | plumbing problems, tripped circuit breakers, |
| simply maintaining appearances. The best defense | | | | improperly functioning appliances, furnace |
| is a good offense. Professional and amateur | | | | malfunctions, pest invasions and other potential |
| burglars are more likely to avoid houses that | | | | hazards. |
| appear to have people living in them. | | | | As a Crestline resident for over eleven years I |
| I have found that by using a few common sense | | | | know how important it is to maintain appearances. |
| tools available to everybody you can give the | | | | I have three homes on my street alone that are |
| appearance of a occupied home. For instance, if | | | | vacation homes. I have seen all three of those |
| you leave a car in the driveway you have a real | | | | homes burglarized several times since I have |
| good chance that the burglars will leave your | | | | been here, all because of the appearance of the |
| home in peace. Now I know that most people | | | | home. Anybody who just happens to be walking |
| don't have a spare car to leave. I am willing to | | | | by can see that no one occupies these homes |
| bet you that one of your neighbors would love to | | | | especially in the winter when their driveway is |
| leave one of their cars in your driveway while | | | | covered in snow or the rest of the year when |
| you are gone. Now you have the opportunity to | | | | their driveway is covered with leaves or dirt. It is |
| talk with your neighbors and let them know that | | | | very important to keep appearances up even |
| you will be gone and no one should be at your | | | | when you are not around. |