Planning for a vacation can be hectic, but there are some things you must do when leaving for an extended period of time to keep your property protected. Here are several things you can do protect your home while on an extended vacation.

1. Neighbors should be notified of your absence. Ask if they would be ok with checking on your property periodically. Neighbors can even be left with a set of keys if caring for dogs or plants during your absence.

2. Hire a house sitter if that is in your budget. Consider hiring a sitter or a friend to stay over in your absence to keep an eye on things. A sitter can communicate with the alarm company and check in with you, periodically.

3. Set your alarm systems and notify your company. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is not informing your alarm company of your plans. Reach out to them and let them know the dates you will be gone for vacation.

4. Inform the local authorities. Some people can be placed on what’s called a “watch list”. The police will drive by occasionally to check on the property in order to make sure that everything looks fine.

5. Set up surveillance cameras. You can set up cameras that can monitor all of the activity when absent from your home. The camera footage can be reviewed from your phone, desktop or laptop.

6. Secure all entry points. Every home requires that you secure all entry points. The doors are often the easiest part, but the windows and patio doors may be neglected. Make sure that all windows are also locked.

7. Consider disconnecting your receiver for the electric garage door. You can use the manual lock on the door. The doors are able to be opened by multiple electronic remotes, so the manual lock would be safer.

8. Remove your spare keys from the home. Any spare keys from the exterior of the home should be removed. Burglars are very skilled at finding those special hiding places. Remove them from mats and potted plants.

9. Stop the newspaper from being delivered to your home. Having too many newspapers stacked on your front doorstep indicates that you are away and out of time. Have them hold your deliveries for a certain amount of time.

10. Have your mail held. An overstuffed mailbox indicates that you are away. A stuffed mailbox puts you at risk for mail fraud. You can contact your post office and allow them to hold your mail for the time you are away.

11. Suspend all social networking activity. Any pictures and updates about your vacation shouldn’t be shared until you have returned. Thieves can plan when to burglarize your home based on status updates and social media activities.

12. Set timers on all lighting. The timed lighting can mimic routine home activity, a major advantage if you’re on extended vacation. The house will look “occupied” with timed lighting even in your absence.

13. Remove all jewelry and put it in a safety deposit box. Your fine jewelry can be stored there for as long as you’d like. In general, keeping jewelry in a safe place is highly recommended in general.

14. Mow your lawn and spruce up your property. You want to make sure that your property looks as if it is being lived in full-time. Make sure the grass in cut low and the shrubbery is cut even lower to prevent unauthorized access.

Whether you have a home protection plan in place or not, it is still best to plan ahead for your absence. Make sure that you cross these items off your checklist before going away on an extended vacation.