1. Alert a trusted neighbor that you will be out of town.

2. Make sure they pick up your mail and newspapers regularly. If you prefer, ask the post office and newspaper service to put your mail and newspaper on a vacation hold.

3. Inform your home security company of your travel plans.

4. Secure valuables.

5. Complete a security inspection of your home: Do the locks work? How about the windows? Consider securing the doggie door if someone can fit through it. Are there any alternate ways someone could enter your home?

6. Before you leave, replace certain light switches in your home with smart light switches that turn on and off at different times that mimic you being home. BAT can provide these smart light switches. You can also use timers to turn on at 6 PM and off at 11 PM.

7. Lock doors

8. Turn off lights

9. Turn on the alarm

10. Set thermostat to conserve energy

11. Shut the garage

12. Make sure items on the front or back porch are either a) secured or b) put away

13. Purchase home monitoring services from BAT to secure your home through home automation, video doorbell surveillance, and a mobile app.