Why Locks Matter More When You're Away
Most break-ins happen through the front, back, or garage door—and most happen when burglars are confident no one is home. An unlocked door or flimsy deadbolt makes the decision easy for them.
Your vacation security checklist should start and end with doors and locks. Fix the obvious weaknesses now, before you're halfway to the airport and wondering if you remembered to lock the side gate.
A solid lock strategy doesn't have to be expensive or time-consuming. Many upgrades take minutes and cost less than a night in a hotel. The goal is simple: make your home harder to enter than your neighbor's.
Walk Every Door and Window
Start at the front door and move clockwise around your home. Test every exterior door—front, back, side, garage entry, basement bulkhead. Push on each one while locked. If it flexes or rattles, the strike plate or frame is weak.
Deadbolts should throw at least one inch into the frame. Check that the bolt is steel, not brass or plastic. If you can see daylight around a closed door, weather-stripping is missing and the frame may not be tight. That's an easy pry point.
Don't skip sliding glass doors. Most use a simple latch that can be lifted off the track. Drop a wooden dowel or security bar in the bottom track. For windows, verify that locks engage fully. Pin or screw double-hung windows together if you won't open them while you're gone.
Side gates, shed doors, and pool enclosures count too. A thief who gets into your backyard out of sight has all the time in the world to work on your rear entry.
Upgrade Weak Deadbolts and Strike Plates
A deadbolt is only as strong as the three-quarter-inch screw holding its strike plate to the door trim. Most builder-grade installations use short screws that pull out with one kick.
Replace those screws with three-inch hardened steel screws that bite into the wall stud behind the trim. This single upgrade defeats most forced-entry attempts. If your deadbolt is old, loose, or wiggles when you turn the key, replace it before you leave.
Look for ANSI/BHMA Grade 1 deadbolts. They're tested for pick resistance, strike endurance, and cycle life. Grade 2 is acceptable for most homes; Grade 3 is too light for exterior doors. If you're not sure what you have, a quick inspection will tell you: Grade 1 bolts are heavier, the keyway feels tighter, and the throw is solid steel all the way through.
Rekeying is faster and cheaper than replacing if the hardware is still solid. You can rekey all your exterior locks to one key, which also means fewer keys to worry about while traveling. Need help deciding? Our locksmith services cover deadbolt upgrades, rekeying, and strike-plate reinforcement—all on-site.
Secure the Garage
Garage doors are a favorite entry point. Many people leave the pedestrian door from the garage into the house unlocked, assuming the overhead door is enough. It's not.
Lock the interior garage door with a real deadbolt, just like your front door. If your overhead door uses an automatic opener, unplug it or use the manual lock bar if you'll be gone more than a few days. Some openers can be triggered by a universal remote or even a coat hanger through the weather seal.
If you keep a remote clipped to your visor and park outside while traveling, take that remote inside. Don't leave it in a car sitting in your driveway. If your opener has a vacation lock mode, enable it. Otherwise, someone with a code scanner or a keen eye on your keypad can get in while you're sipping margaritas two states away.
Smart Locks and Remote Monitoring
Smart locks let you check status, lock and unlock remotely, and issue temporary codes to house sitters or pet walkers. Most retrofit onto a standard deadbolt bore and backset, so installation is straightforward if your door prep is already correct.
Battery life matters. If your smart lock goes dead while you're away, you're back to a mechanical key—assuming you left one with someone nearby. Check battery level before you leave and swap in fresh cells if you're close to the warning threshold.
Pair a smart lock with a video doorbell or camera. You'll get alerts when someone approaches, and you can verify that your house sitter actually showed up. Don't advertise your absence on social media, but do let a trusted neighbor know you'll be gone. They can grab packages, park in your driveway occasionally, and call you if something looks off.
If you're adding or upgrading smart locks before a trip and want professional installation, we install and program smart locks on-site. Reach out and we'll quote the job up front.
Master Keys, Hide-a-Keys, and House Sitters
Never hide a key under the doormat, above the door frame, or in a fake rock within ten feet of the door. Burglars check all of those in under thirty seconds.
If you need to leave access for a house sitter, use a smart lock with a temporary code that expires when you return, or give them a physical key in person. When you get back, delete temporary codes or rekey the lock if the key was lost or you're not sure who made copies.
Master keying is useful if you have a vacation rental or multiple properties, but keep the master key secure. A lost master compromises every lock in the system. For a single-family home, one key for all exterior doors is simpler and nearly as convenient.
Final Walk-Through Before You Go
Run this final checklist the day you leave:
- Lock every exterior door and window, including the garage pedestrian door.
- Drop the dowel or bar in sliding glass door tracks.
- Set the alarm if you have one, and verify it's reporting to your phone or monitoring service.
- Unplug the garage door opener or engage vacation mode.
- Take garage remotes out of cars parked outside.
- Close and lock side gates and shed doors.
- Turn off the main water supply if you'll be gone more than a week (prevents flood damage from a burst pipe).
- Leave one interior light on a random timer. Don't light up the whole house—it looks fake.
- Hold mail and packages, or have a neighbor collect them daily.
Snap a photo of each locked door on your phone. When you're on the plane and can't remember if you locked the back door, you'll have proof and peace of mind.
For more tips on protecting your home year-round, visit our security blog for walkthroughs, product reviews, and how-to guides.