5 Ways to Protect Your Home While Traveling

December 5, 2025

For many families, the holidays mean travel, and travel means an unguarded home. Burglars tend to do their homework, and one item at the top of their wish list is an empty house. Keep your home security top-of-mind before heading out of town by checking out our top five ways to ensure your home is protected.

1) Hold your mail & Deliveries

Burglars see a pile of newspapers on the lawn and an overflowing mailbox as signs that no one is home. Delivered packages sitting on your porch send the same message and give thieves an easy opportunity to steal without forcing entry. Consider re-routing packages to your place of business or a friend’s home. You can also contact each mailing service directly to place a hold by using the links below.

FedEx – Vacation Hold
UPS – Delivery Hold
USPS – Hold Mail Service
Newspaper – Varies by provider

To not only protect your home, but protect your delivered packages, consider using a doorbell camera. These allow you to view live video footage, set automated notification alerts, and see, hear, and speak with your visitors through the Per Mar smart home app.

Pro tip: Start your mail hold several days before leaving to ensure no stragglers.

2) Secure a house sitter

When your home shows no activity, like unshoveled snow, uncut grass, or untouched curtains and blinds, it tells burglars that no one has been there for a while. Asking a trusted friend or neighbor come over once or twice a day makes your home appear lived-in rather than vacant, acting as a deterrent to most burglars.

The best way to ensure total protection is to use both a physical deterrent, such as a house sitter, and an electronic one. With our 24/7 alarm monitoring, we protect your home at all hours. When an alarm is triggered, agents from our monitoring center immediately notify then contact the appropriate first responders. This round-the-clock care gives you complete peace of mind.

Pro tip: Don’t know your neighbors? Nextdoor.com is a social network specifically designed as a meet-and-greet for specific neighborhoods. It also alerts you when a streak of vandalism occurs in your area.

3) Lock down & Light Up

The obvious point of entry for a burglar is the front door, but it’s important to secure the rest of your home as well. Homeowners often forget the entry from the garage, basement windows, and balcony entrances. Our burglar alarm system covers all of these areas and more, allowing you to control your entire home remotely through the Per Mar smart home app.

If double-checking whether you locked everything still has you second-guessing after you leave, we offer home automation. This lets you to manage your cameras, locks, garage door, and thermostats from anywhere, anytime through the smart home app.

Per Mar’s home automation also allows you to turn lights on and off at the click of a button. This gives the illusion to a watchful eye that someone is occupying your house.

4) Do not post your vacation on social media

Posting your travel plans on social media can lead to trouble, especially if the wrong person finds out you’re gone. The safest social media strategy is to wait to post your vacation photos until after you’ve safely returned home. It’s also important to stay cautious when discussing your travel plans in a public space. You never know who might be listening.

5) Install a monitored home security system

While all of these practices help keep your home secure while you’re away, the only way to guarantee 24/7 residential protection is to use a monitored home security system. Security cameras act as your eyes and ears so you can enjoy your time away without a worry. An armed burglar alarm scares off intruders, and most burglars avoid homes with visible security systems and signs.

You can never take too many precautions when it comes to home security. We recommend using as many protective measures as your budget allows to keep your home and family safe. The peace of mind you’ll get, especially when traveling for the holidays, is priceless. Contact us to request your free quote.

Need new security signs? Be sure your Per Mar Security Services signs are well-placed and current. Contact us for additional signage.