For most of us, our home is one of our most prized possessions, the place where we have started out, raised our babies, and laughed and cried in. We want to protect our home at all costs, even when we aren't there. It is important to know that your home is safe, even if you can't physically be there to see for yourself. While there are no guarantees, there are some things that you can do, to help ensure the safety of your home, whether you are there or not.

If you live in a close neighborhood, and are on good terms with your neighbors, which isn't always the case, then you could talk to your neighbors about being away from home, and ask them to keep an eye for anything suspicious. Let them know that you will be away, and that you are concerned about your home. Make certain that you only reveal this information to neighbors that you know well, and have developed a trusting relationship with, as you never know what can happen. You wouldn't want to move into a new home, leave for vacation the next week, and trust your new neighbors who you don't know to look out for your home, that just would be a bad idea. You may also ask them if they would mind picking up your mail, your paper, etc. You don't want someone to notice that you are away, and papers piled up in the drive or mail overflowing from your box is a pretty good indicator that you are not at home. Oftentimes, burglars target homes they know are empty, as they think they are easy targets. By not making your absence noticeable, your home will be much safer, and not such an obvious invitation.

Another good idea, particularly if you don't know or trust your neighbors, is to visit your local police station, and let them know that you are concerned about your home, and that you will be away for a few days. Give them the date you will be leaving, as well as your arrival date, and ask them to do a few extra patrols while you are gone. For those people who live in rural, secluded places, this is a really good precaution to take, as your home may already be a target anyway.

The last thing you should do before leaving your home is take a trip around to check that everything is secure. All of the windows should be closed and locked up tight, as well as all of the doors. Make certain that you have heavy-duty locks in place, and that they are installed well. A faulty lock just makes it that much easier for someone to get into your home.

Even if you are only leaving to go to work for the day, it is still a good idea to do a routine check on your way out, just to be on the safe side. You will want to check the windows and doors of course, but also make certain that all of the lights are turned out, unless you leave one on for security, and that all of your appliances are turned off, such as your range, iron, dryer, etc. Many people recommend that if you will be away for more than a couple of days, you should turn off your water at the source, and shut of your water heater as well, in case any leaks were to occur. If you were away, and a line were to burst, your entire home could be flooded by the time you got home to do something about it. No one wants to come home and be met with a gush of water in their wonderful home, so this might be something to think about.

You should always be aware of home safety and security, but especially if you will be away or out of town for a lengthy period of time. Even if you live in the classiest neighborhood, with the lowest crime rates, you could still have problems, you just never can know for sure when they will occur.