5. Make sure the home appears lived in

If a house looks vacant, it’s an open invitation to a burglar, so make sure your vacation home looks lived in even when you aren’t there. Don’t let mail or newspapers pile up, keep the yard maintained, and make sure any bushes or shrubs are trimmed on a regular basis. You may also consider installing automatic timers on lights so your house doesn’t sit dark at night.

Far too many vacationers have waited until a crime has taken place to start thinking about protecting their vacation property. The risks are too high to go another day without securing your property.