Have You Used an Automatic Timer While on Vacation?

We use them all the time. No special brand, the inexpensive ones work just fine. Use a few and schedule them around the same time that you would usually have your lights go on and off.

Another tip, set a clock radio to go off each morning.

If you have a newspaper delivery or any other type of delivery services, remember to put them on hold.

Do you know any of your neighbors? Let them know you'll be away.

Ask a friend or family member to stop by and check on things.

Do you know of someone who can come by and mow the lawn while your away?

If there's a trustworthy teen in your area, pay them a few $$ to stop by every few days to remove any flyers, water the outdoor plants, maybe hang up a few old cloths on the line (next time visits take them down).

I don't know what brand we use, but we definitely have used a timer on the light in our front room when we go away for more than a day or two. We usually have it go on about 30 minutes before sunset and stay on until 10:30 or 11:00 at night.

We also always let a neighbor know that we'll be gone and make sure one of them has a key. Ask your neighbor to stop by the house every couple of days and pick up fliers that are left on the doorstep. I always think it's an obvious sign that you're gone if too much stuff piles up on the doorstep. Make sure to hold your newspaper delivery too.

Have a fun vacation!

I bought several inexpensive timers from home depot and plugged them into the wall outlets in several rooms around the house. Then I plugged a freestanding lamp into each one. Remember to turn the light on! I like to set these up a day or two ahead to make sure they come on when they should.

If you want something fancier, there are timers that you can wire into the light switches. We have this little digital one that a handy person can install.

A couple other things that will deter a burglar are to put up a security sign in your front yard, and to park a car in your driveway.

Sure, we use them when we're away, and actually have one on the table lamp in the living room all the time just because it's nice not to walk into the dark room.

The cheap ones work very well, so don't worry about getting a special brand. No need for digital or anything. They are basically a little box you plug into the wall with 24 or 48 little tabs (half hour or one hour increments) that you leave down for "off" and pull up for "on." Then you turn a dial to the current time so it knows where to start, switch the lamp to the on setting and plug it into the box and voila!

If you have an old boombox I'd also recommend tuning it to NPR or something and plugging it into a timer as well so that there will be voices and/or music in the house throughout the day. Could try to do the same with a tv for the evening hours.

If you have a friend or neighbor your trust, you might also ask them to stop by every day, or park in your driveway just so cars are coming and going from the house.

We use one every day. Just bought a $3 one at the local big box hardware store.

Keeping lights on is about the best security you can have. Thieves won't take the chance and will instead pick a dark house on the block - should they be in your neighborhood.

Good idea!

When we go away our neighbors come in to feed the cats, collect the mail and turn lights on and off. They also park one of their cars in our driveway. We do the same for them when they go away.

We use them all of the time for all sorts of things. Go to the hardware store and you can choose from a ton of them.. Usually the ones with the dial work the best.

Set them the same way you turn on your lights while home..

For instance it is bright here till 7:30 or 8:00pm have them turn on at that time..

Then set the ones in the front bedroom for bedtime.. I g to bed around 11:00pm and then shut it off about 12:00.am.

In the morning if you get up early enough that it is still dark outside.. set it to go on at that time.. You get the idea.

One of the best things you can do is tell your neighbors you will be gone.
We're not exactly close to our neighbors, as a matter of fact we hardly ever speak to each other, but it's important to know who's coming and going. We learned this the hard way a few years ago when it appeared that our next door neighbors were having a dinner party, but in fact, they were out of town while some very sophisticated thieves were robbing them blind. Ever since then we ALL give each other a heads up when we're going to be gone. Neighborhood watch may be old school, but it works!

Lots of good ideas here and we use most of them when we travel, including timers for lights. I also know folks who put the radio on a timer during certain times of the day, fairly loud but not extremely loud, to give an impression that someone is in the house.

One thought about stopping your mail: Doing so is a must, since it is more reliable than having a neighbor pick up mail (even the best neighbor can forget or get busy and miss a day). But we learned through experience to stop our mail at least one full day, usually two, BEFORE we actually need it stopped. For instance, if we are departing on Friday and want mail not to come starting that same day, I ask for it to be stopped usually on Wednesday. This is because about three times in the past, I've done the paperwork and turned it in only to find the mail still arriving on the first day we did not want it to come. There would be no way to know if it was still coming while we were gone, because we would already have left, and here we were with mail in the mailbox on the first day the PO had been told not to deliver it. After one frantic trip to the post office at 5 p.m. on the day we had a flight to catch at 7, insisting that they had to stop the mail as requested, I learned to give them at least one full extra day -- so I could be certain the mail service did NOT arrive. If you are expecting last minute bills it could be an issue, I guess, but otherwise -- ask for the mail to stop at least a day or two before you actually are gone!

Like Laurie said, use a few of them (since you will be gone for such a lengthy time) and set them for different times. The dial ones will work better because if the power goes out, the lights will still go on and off once the power is restored. The digital ones will not. And so what if the time is not "correct" it will just appear even more random.

Definitely ask a neighbor to keep a look out, and remove flyers and what-not. Maybe ask them to move a toy around in the yard every couple of days. Give them your cell number, too.

I also like to leave one light on in a room, and partially close the door....like my laundry room. No outside windows to double check if no one is in there.

Also....not that you asked, but a great way to conserve energy is to turn your thermostat up and WATER HEATER down while you are gone. We also unplug virtually everything.

Draw all the blinds on the windows that are easy to appear in from the ground level, and those of course that allow the sun to come in.....why heat up your house during the summer? We leave one or two blinds up that can't be looked in. So the house doesn't look completely shut up.

Remove all the obvious targets for theft. I know some people who actually pull out crappy tv's etc to make it look like they really don't have the nice stuff. We don't really have the nice stuff, so I don't worry too much about that. :)

If you do have a safe, make sure it has what you can't live without (jewerly, documents), and put the safe in a place that is hard to discover....maybe underneath a pile of dirty clothes???? :)

We use a timer system everyday.
It turns on the kitchen lights 5 min before our alarm goes off and turns them off later on.
It comes in handy for turning on/off Christmas tree lights, too.
So when we go away, the lights continue going on and off like they always do.
We stop the mail and make sure we have no deliveries coming while we're away.
We tell our neighbors (and they tell us), and our lawn gets mowed on schedule.
Sometimes the neighbors will park cars in each others driveways so a passerby will see there's people coming and going.

In addition to using light timers and a radio, I suggest closing your curtains and if you have blinds, close them part way so that people can't see in to your house. Thieves like to see what they're going to get before putting out the effort to break in to a house so hide valuables, close TV cabinets, etc. Also make sure your trash cans are being put out while you're away.

Have a neighbor check your porch for any packages, flyers, etc.

Light timers work great! Look for ones that go off and on multiple times. In addition to setting up lights on these, also set up a radio downstairs (turn the sound up to a good level) to make some noise so it really appears someone is home.

ETA: Haven't noticed much difference between the brands.

I don't use timers. We have 3 dogs so we have a pet/house sitter. She comes over twice during the day and then comes back and sleeps over in the house.

So our house is actually lived in while we are away.

Make sure you get someone to get the flyers/solicitations off your front door, put garbage out and back in, water plants, etc.

Just having someone stop by and move things around make it appear that someone is living in the house.

Have a good trip

I read an article once that really good burglars will watch the house for a few nights..... and it is really obvious when people use timers, because the SAME lights come on and go off at the SAME time.

It may help stop the casual burglar, but one who knows his business will just see that as the perfect house to break in to.

Do you have a neighbor that can come in and switch the lights around for you, or park their car in your driveway a few times? That helps, also.

Didn't read all the answers so sorry if there are any repeats. Stop mail and papers. Timers are fine and work ok. Still good to have a neighbor keep an eye on your place- this is the best thing of all. Make sure they have your cell or hotel number to call you for anything.Use automatic sprinklers etc for the yard so nothing looks dead or unattended. Have a neighbor water if you don't have timed sprinklers. Have neighbors park in your driveway. I also recommend motion sensored flood lights (for when you are home or away). They deter intruders. Also, if you have side sliding windows, put wooden dowel rods (cut them to size) in the track so even if they get through the lock the window won't open. We use these when at home and away. Again good deterrent. There area also individual alarms you can easily install on windows and doors that will go off if opened. They are not an alarm service. http://www.sears.com/shc/s/search_10153_12605?keyword=win... It will scare away an intruder and your neigbors will hear it and know to call the police. If a criminal wants into your house he will find a way- period. Put as many deterrants up as you can think of so that your house looks like it will take too long to break into and they will choose someone elses house. Hope you have a nice, peaceful, worry free vacation!

It's good to ask the Post Office to hold your mail Put your newspaper on hold if you get one. Cancel your milk delivery. Anything else that you need to cancel?

When we're gone, we ask someone trustworthy to check the outside every day and to water the flower beds. We give a key so packages left at the door may be placed inside. If we're gone for quite a while, we often hire someone (usually a neighboring teenager) to cut the grass for us, front and back, and weed the flower beds. The idea is to make the house look as "regular" and as lived in as possible.

We let the closest neighbors know we'll be gone, particularly the neighbors who can see our front door. If they look out and see someone at our door or in the yard, they'll know there might be a problem.

I like to use two or three light timers (inexpensive, basic ones) so it really looks as if people are home. Set the different lights to your normal schedule. If lights go on and off in various parts of the house, it might keep the burglars guessing.

You could even ask neighbors if they wouldn't mind parking in your driveway at night.

Jill is right in suggesting you remove any obviously enticing objects. Entertainment devices, televisions, laptops come first to mind - along with any antiques you might have. If you have valuable jewelry, put it in the bank, the laundry room, or the fridge (in the back). Think like a thief: what would interest you? If you saw one thing you'd like, what else would you think to look for?

Make sure someone knows how to contact you if the need should arise.