It’s summertime, and the living’s easy—that is, unless you leave your home unprotected while you’re on vacation. Theft and break-ins can be particularly rampant during the summer months when families are away from their home. To protect your home and family, consider consulting a residential locksmith. Able Security Locksmiths, serving Morris, Sussex and Warren counties in New Jersey, explains the importance of securing your home—especially when you’re out of town—and offers a few tips for how to stay safe.

Check Your Door Locks

One of the most crucial steps to protecting your home before you leave is to check your locks to make sure they are in proper order. If your lock doesn’t shut properly or the hardware is outdated, consult a locksmith to conduct repairs or install a more suitable lock replacement. Whenever you’re looking for a new locksmith, beware of unskilled workers or thieves—if the locksmith doesn’t have a local number, won’t provide a quote in advance, or can’t offer identification and proof of insurance, don’t trust them! It’s a good idea to also check out the locksmith’s online reviews to make sure they belong to a legitimate business.

Alert A Trustworthy Neighbor & Local Law Enforcement

Before you go on holiday, you may also want to leave an updated copy of your keys with a trustworthy neighbor and ask them to look out for any suspicious activity around your home. Let the local authorities know you’ll be out of town so that patrol cars in the area will keep an eye on your property, too.

Don’t Disclose Information Online

Finally, never advertise on social media or other online sites that you’ll be out of town for a few days. You probably don’t know everyone in your social networks very well, and there isn’t any guarantee that those people won’t disclose information about your whereabouts. Opportunistic thieves keep track of which homes are vacated and will break into your home while you’re gone. Instead, wait to post your vacation pictures after you’re back in town, and you may want to put a timer on the lights in your house so it doesn’t look empty.

For more tips on protecting your house while you’re away on holiday, contact Able Security Locksmiths at (973) 584-3033 or visit their website. You can also read testimonials from previous clients online and visit their Facebook page for more information about their services.