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I don't think it is a good idea to tell too many people you are leaving. Maybe one very trusted person.
I agree, if you've one trusted friend/family member. As a lifelong apt complex dweller in giant cities, I rarely see neighbors, let alone know any of them. I've lived on large floors of bldgs, where I'd never seen another neighbor face-to-face the entire time living there, so there's no one to tell I'm here, I'm going or I'm leaving for good.
There's no one I'd ever leave my keys with & I don't want anyone's keys in case they ever had a break-in, I'd never notify the rental office that I was going away (not paranoid, just don't see any benefit to it... they have my cell should they need to reach me), I don't have newspaper delivery or a lawn to trim, I make sure I'm not getting any pkgs delivered during that time, so they don't sit abandoned at the door & I only get junk mail on occasion, so my lobby mailbox getting stuffed is the least of the postal delivery worker's woes.
Actually, I'd never thought about leaving lights on, as in evenings if home, lights would be very dim, all blinds would be down & black curtains drawn (I've more than a touch of insomnia), so light is barely visible from the street anyway. I'm afraid to leave on a stereo or TV in the event there should be a power surge or cable should kick out for a moment, then come back on with volume blaring. It's happened when I've been home. The indentation of my big, bloody bonce is still on the ceiling.
Anything of value, basically computer & checkbook, comes with. If I owned a home, I somehow feel I'd be less inclined to let anyone know I was leaving. I imagine I'd find one trusted friend to just do a daily drive-by and/or p/u mail if it's an outdoor box (although, I'm sure I'd install a door mail slot)... but, I certainly wouldn't give them my keys.
So, no to both. What can I say, those of us who've lived in inner-cities all of our lives learn to steer clear of the howling, growling, scowling lunatics who live above, below & next door, lest they try to become friendly.
If you have a car in the garage that you’re not taking on the trip, lock your valuables in the trunk; lock the car taking the keys with you. Lock the garage doors and disable the opener from operating. It’s also nice if you have a keyed deadbolt lock on the door from the house to the garage. Every burglar wants in and out of the house in less than 5 minutes. You just added more time then he has to get into the locked garage and the locked car trunk.
To the shy, strange person who anonymously repped me, for some odd reason, for having a 'sad view', cheers for your rep, mate!
But, isn't that akin to ringing the doorbell & cowardly running for the hills... tsk, tsk. Being careful does not necessarily constitute sadness, but you're entitled to make your judgment known in such a clandestine way. Now that's sad... but, enjoy your weekend nontheless.
If you have a car in the garage that you’re not taking on the trip, lock your valuables in the trunk; lock the car taking the keys with you. Lock the garage doors and disable the opener from operating. It’s also nice if you have a keyed deadbolt lock on the door from the house to the garage. Every burglar wants in and out of the house in less than 5 minutes. You just added more time then he has to get into the locked garage and the locked car trunk.
Do you leave a few lights on in and around the house when on vacation?
Also do you notify a neighbour "to keep an eye " when you are away ?
Back in the day when we went away and had neighbors, we would put various lights and radios on timers throughout the house. However, we never discussed our schedule with the neighbors..
I've read to leave a light on in the bathroom, or arrange somehow to set a timer for a bathroom light to come on. Also, I am often up late at night in my home office, I leave a timer light on.
YOu don't want to go too far outside of your normal routine with random timers, etc, or that can be a dead giveaway, too.
The timers are a good idea, leaving lights on is often not. It draws attention to your house when everyone else has all their lights off at 2 a.m. It says "No one is home to turn off these lights" Same lights on each night with no change confirms this. Put three or four lights on a timer to turn them on and off here and there. I looks like someone is moving through the house.
On the other hand if you have a neighbor watching the house and someone breaks in, neighbor knows something is wrong as soon as he sees lights inside. Leaving lights on helps the burglar see what he wants to take, and your neighbor never knows anything is going on.
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A better idea
Being careful does not necessarily constitute sadness, but you're entitled to make your judgment known in such a clandestine way. Now that's sad... but, enjoy your weekend nontheless.
