Go through these eight preventive steps to ensure your house is not susceptible to burglary as you leave it unguarded during your vacation .

Get neighbour to keep a watch If you have a friend living nearby, ask him to keep an eye on your house while you are away. You could even give him the keys to the house and your vehicle. Burglars usually scout the neighbourhood for houses lying locked up. If they see someone opening the house and taking the car out for a spin, they won’t dare break in.

Don’t share plans on social media You might be excited about the holiday, but you don’t have to let the world know of it. Your housemaid may be honest, but she might share the information with an associate who is not. More importantly, don’t put up departure and arrival details on social media like Facebook. Share your travel plans strictly on a need to-know Basis.

Create an illusion

Don’t let burglars know that there is nobody in the house. One way to do this is by keeping the lights on when you are away. However, professional thieves wisen up to this trick if they see the lights are on throughout the night. A better idea is to buy a timer that will put on the lights at a certain time of the day and later switch them off.

Consider taking a home cover Your travel plans may be just the trigger you need to buy insurance for your house as well as the belongings. It does not cost much and the entire house structure worth Rs 40-50 lakh and its contents worth Rs 10 lakh can be insured for as little as Rs 8,000 per year.

Unplug electrical appliances Sometimes the danger to your house does not come on two legs. It could slip in through the electricity supply line in the form of a power surge. It will not only damage the appliances that are connected, but could spark a fire.Unplug all appliances (except refrigerator) while you are away.

Instal burglar alarm It does not cost a packet, but a burglar alarm can certainly save you a lot of bother. Prices start from as low as Rs 600-800 for a simple wireless burglar alarm to more sophisticated and elaborate anti theft systems that use motion-sensor technology and cost upwards of Rs 5,00

Tell your vendor to stop giving the newspapers during the period you are away. Newspapers piled up at the entrance of the house is a dead giveaway that the owner is not in. You can also ask a neighbour to pick up the mail delivered to your address.

Deposit valuables in bank locker Before you proceed on the holiday, make a short visit to your bank and put all valuables (jewellery, important documents, etc) in the bank locker. You can take them back once you return. If you have a reliable safe at home, put all the valuables in it before you

leave.