Vacations are supposed to be relaxing, not a time to worry about whether someone’s sneaking into your house or if your cat sitter actually showed up. Unfortunately, burglars like to target empty homes, so small mishaps—like a leaky pipe or an unlocked window—can quickly turn into expensive disasters.
The good news? Keeping your home secure while you’re away doesn’t require hiring an on-call security team. With the right mix of technology, planning, and a few smart strategies, you can more easily enjoy your time away without constantly checking in. Here’s how to make sure your home stays safe, your pets are cared for, and your return isn’t met with unwanted surprises.
Why Checking In on Your Feline (and the Sitter) Matters
There’s nothing worse than enjoying a well-earned break, only to be hit with the nagging thought: Did the cat sitter actually show up? If you have pets, especially the kind who rule the house while you’re gone, making sure they’re cared for is just as important as locking the doors.
Thankfully, cat care is simpler than ever, thanks to game-changing innovations that take some of the guesswork out of pet-sitting. Automated feeders, self-cleaning litter boxes, and even interactive pet cameras mean you can check in on your feline overlord with just a few taps on your phone. If you hire a sitter, setting up a system to ensure they arrive as scheduled—whether through a keyless entry system or an in-home camera—is a must.
Why an Indoor Camera is Beneficial While Away
If you’re relying on a house sitter or pet sitter, trusting them isn’t enough—you need proof they’re actually doing their job. That’s where an indoor camera comes in. Unlike traditional security systems that focus on the outside of your home, these cameras allow you to check in on what’s happening inside, in real-time.
This isn’t just about catching a forgetful sitter who didn’t refill the water bowl. Indoor cameras give you the peace of mind of knowing if someone unexpected has entered your home while you’re away. With remote access, you can check live footage from anywhere, ensuring that your house remains exactly as you left it. Some systems even offer motion alerts, sending notifications the moment something unusual happens.
But cameras aren’t just for security—they’re also a great way to keep an eye on other risks, like a kitchen faucet accidentally left running or a curious pet getting into trouble.
Smart Lighting Tricks Burglars
An empty home is easy to spot, especially when the lights stay off night after night or, even worse, stay on 24/7 like a forgotten Halloween decoration. Smart lighting solves this problem by making it look like someone is home, even when you’re miles away.
The key is unpredictability. Instead of relying on the classic timer that turns a lamp on and off at the same time every evening, smart lighting systems allow you to control different lights remotely, schedule them to switch on at varying times, and even adjust brightness levels throughout the day. This creates a more natural pattern that mimics actual household activity, making it far less obvious that no one is inside.
An Overflowing Mailbox is an Open Invitation
Few things scream “no one is home” quite like a stuffed mailbox and a pile of packages on the doorstep. While it might not seem like a major issue, leaving mail unattended for too long signals to burglars that your house is sitting empty—and easy to target.
A quick fix is pausing your mail through your postal service, but if you’re expecting packages, that won’t always be enough. A better option is enlisting a trusted neighbor or friend to collect deliveries while you’re gone. If that’s not an option, smart parcel lockers or package storage solutions can keep deliveries secure until you return.
The Problem with Hiding Spare Keys
Everyone loves the idea of a hidden key—until they realize burglars know exactly where to look. The fake rock by the porch, the mat by the door, or the flowerpot in the corner? Those are all the first places someone will check if they want easy access to your home.
Instead of relying on outdated methods, upgrading to a smart lock system ensures that only the right people can enter while you’re gone. These systems allow you to create temporary access codes for house sitters, pet sitters, or maintenance workers—without worrying about lost keys falling into the wrong hands. Once you return, you can easily deactivate those codes, eliminating any security risks.