Coming home from a vacation to find your house broken into is the worst experience that can make you forget all the merry you had while away.
Your windows and doors can serve as the main entry for burglars.
Therefore their condition, while you are away, should be greatly considered.
In this regard, Should You Leave Your Blinds And Curtains Open When You’re Not Home?
Typically, leaving blinds and curtains open when you are away depending on the duration you wish to spend away and how you value your home security. It is not always wise to advertise your absence from your house as this can invite burglars and thieves. You can leave the blinds and curtains half-open, closed, or completely open. Leave blinds and curtains home if you are leaving the house in the morning and are sure to come back before dusk. However, if you are going out for some days and nights, it is important to close your curtains and blinds.
When planning to go out, you want to return home and find the house intact, with all its contents safe and in the position you had left them. To achieve this, you must install measures to help keep your home safe.
This article will cover the tips for home security and how to keep your blinds and curtains while away from home.
Is It Right To Leave The Curtains And Blinds Open While You’re Away From Home?
The excitement of traveling can, at times, be overwhelming to make you forget about home security.
In a home, the doors and windows serve as the main entry, and exit points for people, both of good and bad intentions, natural air, natural light, and also helps regulate the airflow condition in the house.
People hang blinds and curtains on doors and windows for several reasons.
Among those reasons is the protection of the property inside the house.
During the day, it is normal to leave blinds and curtains halfway or fully opened.
This indicates that someone is inside the home and requires some natural light.
However, open curtains and blinds make it easy for people outside to see whatever is inside your house. Peeping toms can also take advantage of open curtains and intrude on your privacy.
If you are leaving the house for just a day, you should open your curtains and blinds to give the outsiders an impression that someone is at home, even though you are not there.
Even if burglars identify a few items they wish to steal, they will organize themselves to come at night, but they will find you in, and if you have locked doors, then it will be hard for them to break in a steal.
At night, it is usual to close curtains and blinds.
If you are leaving for a vacation that will take some days or weeks but wishes to make your home appear lived in, you should find someone to take care of your house when you are away.
This person will be responsible for the curtains and blinds day and night.
Otherwise, if you leave them open, then at night, it will signify that the house is unoccupied.
If the pattern continues over some days, your home will be at risk of intruders who might carry away your priceless home items and dismantle other precious items.
Typically, the choice of leaving curtains and blinds open when leaning is personal, but one should consider the security risks associated with either option.
Five Tips For Keeping Your Home Safe While Unoccupied
1. Stash Property
If you have valuable items in your house, it is always advisable to prepare for the worst, especially if you are leaving the house for some days.
Home security is not only about the protection of the physical building but also the protection of some valuable items.
Always find an alternative plan of safeguarding your property just in case someone manages to break in. you can store the valuables in a hidden safe that cannot be easily found.
2. Make It Appear Like There Is Someone At Home
Make the appearance of activities in the home as usual.
The burglars will not likely raid your home when there are signs that someone is home.
Here are a few ways to make a home appear occupied when you are away:
- Program timers and lamps inside the house so that they turn on in a similar manner as if you are in the house. Someone might assume you are inside the house since the lights and timers operate normally.
- Invest in a smart lighting system that can learn your lighting patterns and maintain them even when you are away. Additionally, you can control smart bulbs remotely while on your trip.
- Leave a car well parked in the driveway as this will make the home appear like there is someone present.
3. Keep Your Travel Plans Private
You should not always advertise your travel plans to the entire neighborhood or social media platforms.
Refrain from posting about your travel destinations, travel time frame, departure time, or even return time.
4. Avoid Doing Home Makeovers
Try as much as possible to avoid making significant changes to your home, especially the exterior part, before you leave.
All the same, be cautious not to risk your valuables by attempting to make things appear the same.
5. Cancel Regular Deliveries
If you will be away from home for some time, you need to cancel regular deliveries until you get back to your house.
Uncollected staff like letter boxes, uncollected milk bottles, and other parcels at your doorstep indicate that you are not at home.
By canceling deliveries, you will have saved some money and prevented thieves from easily noticing your absence from the home.
6. Install Time Switches
One of the greatest ways to alert people of your absence is the continuous lighting of your home.
Do not leave your lights on the whole time you are away. Investing in automatic timer switches can save you greatly while away.
Set them on or off at specific times to create a strong illusion of an occupied home.
Remember to close blinds and curtains after installing automatic bulbs so that outsiders do not get a clear view of your home when the lights turn on at night.
7. Invest In A Smart Security System
A smart security system has been proven to be very effective in deterring intruders and keeping your home safe.
Most the modern security systems come with:
- Video doorbells
- Security cameras
- Motion sensors
- Light sensors
- Alarms
- Smoke detectors
- Door and window sensors
- Smart locks
- Remotes control to enhance flexibility and functionality
If your home has a fully integrated security system, you can see everything happening in your home and neighborhood even when you are away.
8. Upgrade Your Door And Window Locks
Install modern smart locks on your doors so that you are alerted by their alarm whenever someone tries to break the doors or windows.
This is a proven method to help you secure your property even when you are away from home.
Conclusion
Blinds and curtains not only add to the aesthetics of your interior house but also serve other significant purposes like allowing light in and securing your property from outsiders.
Whether to leave them open or closed whenever you leave the house greatly depends on how you value your security and privacy.
Whichever option you take, make sure you are considering the security of your property.
