How to Boost Your Home Security System While Away on Winter Vacation

November 7, 2023 by Anas Mustafa

Winter is a great time to get away to summer places. You can escape the harshness of Canadian winters, relax on a beach sipping your favourite cocktail or just enjoy the peace.

Before you jetted away, you ensured you locked the doors and turned off the stove. Yet something keeps whispering in the back of your mind…

Did you secure the house properly? Was the heating turned down, the water shut off, and the alarm set? These are all things that could ruin your holiday and result in a peaceful time turning into a stress-filled one.

So how can you ensure your home security is boosted and working hard while you don’t? Here are some tips and tricks to help prepare you before you go and keep the cocktails flowing while you are away.

Wait A Minute, Mr. Postman!

Let the local post office know that you plan to be away, and they can hold all mail until you return. This includes things such as newspaper and magazine subscriptions. By keeping these things from building up in your mailbox or front step, people are less likely to know that you are not home.

Make sure that any Amazon or other packages ordered online arrive before you travel, and try to avoid online shopping while you are gone (unless you can have someone stop by to pick the packages up).

Neighbourhood Watch Patrol

Can a neighbour or close friend watch the home while you are gone? Having someone check in on occasion helps to make it seem like there is someone there at all times and can be a great deterrent.

They can also help shovel snow off the driveway and sidewalk. Piles of snow in a driveway is another clear indication of an empty home, so having someone clear it for you is essential for safety. If you’re part of an HOA, it will also help you avoid fines for not clearing it in time. Moving garbage bins and checking windows and doors is also a big help.

Let Your Insurance Know

Give your home insurance provider a call and let them know you will also be away. While not all policies are the same, seeing if you have coverage when absent is important.

Home Security Essentials

A home security systemn is essential before you leave, as this will be the first line of defence and the hardest working system while you are gone.

A few minutes to review the system before you go can save you stress and thousands of dollars if something happens. But what’s the best way to boost this defence system?

Updates

Cybersecurity is your home system’s most significant defence, as it protects it 24/7. Regular updates are sent to your control panel, which will then spread out to the rest of the system, so everything is updated all at once.

Before you leave, make sure that the smart app on your phone is updated with the latest version, and call the security company to see if there are any updates you may have missed or are due.

You can also advise the monitoring centre that you will be away. It will allow the alarm company to act on your behalf should the need arise.

Camera Checks

If you have wireless cameras situated around the property, check the batteries to ensure they are at full power, and swap out any that you are unsure about. Losing power while you are away will prevent them from operating and leave gaps in your home’s defences.

Have there been any storms or harsh weather recently? Double-check the camera’s positions. Are they still seeing the same area as before, or have they moved? Reposition them to ensure maximum cover and visibility.

Remove any debris in front of the cameras and check the camera for any damage.

Smart Features Are A Smart Idea

Do you have a Smart Home? The features that come with smart home technology are ideal for giving the illusion that someone is home.

You can program lights to go on and off at various times and in different parts of the home. A smart thermostat will allow you to control the temperature inside the home, which is a huge benefit in ensuring your water pipes don’t freeze and burst while you are gone.

You can also set it to warm up in time for your return, so you don’t come home to a cold house.

Access Control Update

If you have a smart door lock that allocates individual people with their security codes, it’s a good idea to update this while you are gone.

It means that you can remove access to people who you don’t want in your home while you are away and grant access to a person or people who are there to watch your pets or plants or are just checking up on the place while you are away.

It gives you greater control over who can come and go while you are not there.

Home Alarm Systems: Technology and People Working Together

Your home alarm system is only as good as you allow. By ensuring everything is updated and working correctly, you can ensure your alarm system will be there for you when needed.

Combine this with the human element of having your mail stopped or someone clearing the snow off your driveway and sidewalks, and potential criminals will never know your home is empty.

Canadian Security Professionals is your perfect partner in ensuring your home security is on point and working as you need it to while you are away.

Before you book your tickets to paradise, reach out to our friendly and professional team of experts, and let’s review your protection and set you up for a wonderful and well-needed breakaway.

Call 1-877-494-9911 or reach out online for a free quote today. Let us get rid of those winter blues and keep your home safe.

"Our company has been working with CSP for almost 10 years. We use them to secure our retail stores and have always had a great experience with them. Their technical team is terrific and always..."

Tony W, Greenhawk Inc..

"I own a small coffee shop on the Hamilton Mountain, and after many issues, I was considering the idea of changing companies for our security system. I checked out several reviews of some local..."

Bring Your Dog Cafe And Pub, Jim Ervin.

"What a company, Heather was such a pleasure to work with. Tamim was also a great person to work with. Set my company alarm system in no time. Tamim is very friendly and answered all my questions. And..."

Gastro Market, Anthony Zolkiewicz.

"My whole experience with Canadian security professionals has been positive from the 1st step. I spoke to numerous companies and Curtis from Canadian security professionals was by far the most..."

Delicate Touch, Mark Eisenberg.

"Hands down it’s the best service you can get. Very professional from the time you reach out to them and to the final installation and set up. Heather from the office and Tamim on-site were both so..."

UCA Associates, Arun R.

"Excellent Experience I had my business and home system installed by this company and I can’t say enough about the professionalism.. The installer was so patient, explained all the functions to..."

Paradise Subs, Dan Lafleur.

"We had an alarm setup in our commercial office space by CSP. The amazing service started with Anas, who helped us understand what we needed. From there, the installer showed up on time, installed all..."

The Influence Agency, Tom Yawney.

"Tamim and Anas have helped us on numerous occasions for installation for our business and home! Its not even a question on who we would call to help us feel safe – they are quick, professional,..."

Ciscon Landscaping, Carmen Cisterna.

"What a fantastic company this is. I had a couple of issues with the doorbell camera and these guys were right ON IT. Emily is super fast, super smart and super nice when assisting me. Reminds me of..."

Dante D.

"Great service, I’m glad to have them in my business and would definitely recommend this company to my friends and family. "

Plains Laundromat, Ali Saadati.

"Heather (customer service) and Tamim (technician) were very helpful in explaining and demonstrating the services to myself and team. I had it installed in my home and office. Thank you very much for..."

Responsive Consulting Inc, Nole Coutrouzas.

"Thank you for making the process so simple and easy during a very stressful store opening. The technician was both professional and very pleasant to work with. Have nothing but positive things to say..."

The Thrifty Designer, Leslie Smith-Aragona.

"Received the best service, from first visit from the sales guy to the installation finish, gave me the best product out there and i was really pleased got them at my business and home now never will..."

Sam’s Auto, Sam Eltawil.

"Products seemed well-made and service was excellent; during the install, the technician was knowledgeable and professional. The install itself was straight forward and not intrusive aesthetically. I..."

Ali Al-Hashimi.

"Great feeling to have made right choice selecting Canadian Security Professional for Remote (smartphone) activated Alarm/Monitoring package. I highly recommend. "

Anil Kaul.

"Super helpful friendly team at CSP. Outstanding tech support. Would definitely recommend as a security company and a company that can help sort out all that is new in smart home technology. Not being..."

Kathy Shaw.

"I wish there was a 10 star button. From the first interaction until the final installation, it was an amazing experience. Not only my equipment was set up professionally but the service was..."

Ammar Albaqali.

"Excellent Staff to deal with. Very thorough about everything they install. Very friendly customer service. We were happy that they were a few minutes early to do the installation. They cleaned up..."

Giuseppe Battaglia.

"We had an alarm setup in our commercial office space by CSP. The amazing service started with Adam, who helped us understand what we needed. From there, the installer showed up on time, installed all..."

Tom Yawney.

"Very friendly conversation and nice work done by Tamim in setting up the home security installation. Also would like to thank Chelsee for all coordination and smooth installation. Thank you. "

Asha Topagi.

"Great company from sales to install . Fast install and friendly knowledgeable installers . Helped with setup and made everything easy to understand. Very nice system with cameras . Will recommend to..."

Craig Kawucha.

"We were so pleased when we contacted Canadian Service Professionals. Heather was prompt and very helpful in answering all of our questions. Our service technician, Tamim, was wonderful. He installed..."

Aravinth S.

"Choosing the right alarm company is a daunting task but right from the onset Heather was informative and unbelievably helpful. Heather helped me with my choices, advised and made sure that my alarm..."

Linda Kasprzak.

"Chelsee was so efficient and pleased to help me get the right system for my house. I wanted it installed as quickly as possible after we had a break in. It was installed the next day! Tim showed up..."

Amy Hoo.

"Very quick job, next day installation, good communication with sales person Eric. Next day Tamim showed up in our house and did a quick, professional and clean job with clear explanation and..."

Natalie M.

"Could not be happier with our new alarm system. It is user friendly and was easily adapted to suit our needs. Our Technician (Rabah) went above and beyond to ensure that our system was installed..."

Barry Snider.

"I’m very happy with the service CSP has provided, the discussion I had by email, before the installation of the system, was really helpful for finding what would be the best and the most efficient..."

Loïc W.

"Tamim came extra early to accommodate my doctor’s appointment that day. Unfortunately, some of my other installations were running late (cable, HVAC), Tamim stayed later than he was supposed to..."

Nicole.

"Canadian Security Professionals is a wonderful company to deal with. The team was very knowledgeable and educated me about the product and I felt more comfortable to use the alarm system. It is..."

Angela.

"We’re so glad we did our research and selected CSP! Incredible service from initial to the installation. Both representatives were professional, patient and educated us on how the products..."

Angeline Shawn.

"I would highly recommend CSP. The entire process was very easy and headache free. "

Francisco Peria.

"Excellent service from original contact, who immediately responded to my queries, to providing a quote based on my needs, and the professional installer. System is everything I wanted and then some...."

Luke Desimone.

"Had good communication with the sales person. He explained everything in detail. There was no hidden charges. Everything was straight forward. And the technician was super helpful, professional and..."

Ajay Mathews.

"Installer’s work was exceptionally neat and clean. I’m looking forward to having him install my security system at our cottage as well. The sales person was excellent. I will be pleased and..."

Phil Wiseman.

"Excellent experience! Thorough, professional and patient technician.. Thank you very much. We won’t hesitate to recommend you. "

Jason McMaster.

"I just switched from a well-know security firm to Canadian Security Professionals. The change over was done exceedingly well, the installation was quick and professional and service has been great...."

Eric.

"CSP has exceeded my expectations in both customer service and system quality. The pre sales interactions were handled very professionally and with a keen interest in helping me obtain a security..."

Adam H.

"Just wanted to say thanks for coordinating the install and just say that the installer did an excellent job and I would recommend your service. The installer was very patient and did everything to..."

Aldo.

"From the inital phone call consulation with Jennifer M., she was very knowledgeable and professional. I even had my spouse speak with her in order to help us make this important decision somewhat..."

Bob & Shauna.

"I want to say Thank You for all of your patience, and help. I downloaded the manual for my Simon XT Security System.. Everything is working perfectly. I went to previous employer today (I am retired)..."

From Jan and Bob.

"The installation was great, Equipment seems to be perfect, Your self and the installer was very Professional, courteous and a Pleasure to have met. I could not say enough about the Installer, I can..."

Skye’s Fashion Jewelry.

"I would like to take this opportunity to tell you how pleased I am with the excellent customer service I recently received from your technician Tamim. I wanted you to know that his patience, courtesy..."

Catherine N.

"Hi Jennifer, Great experience ! Rabah was absolutely amazing , very pleasant , friendly and fast. Explained everything very well to me and my hubby. We are very impressed with your outstanding..."

Renata.

"Just a quick note to commend Rabah who installed our alarm on Monday, Oct. 21, 2013. We are very pleased with his installation. He accommodated us, choosing the best possible location for the unit,..."

Joesph & Dee.

"Just had my alarm system set up today, and the gentleman that set it up was absolutely amazing. So kind and professional, my husband and I were truly blown away by the customer service we received..."

Kristina Kamber.

"I recently had a system installed at my house. So far, the system appears to be working great, easy to use and is a real peace of mind. I hope it continues this way. I would like to comment on the..."

Pierre Jean.

"The alarm system is all that I expected. The installation guy was polite and helpful. Thanks again for your help. I’m confident that I made the right choice in going with your company. "

Ed Doherty.

"We are very excited about making the switch. I really like the idea that the home will not only be monitored for burglars but also for fire and the fact that we will finally have a keypad (so my..."

Susie.

"As we were looking into purchasing a home security system, we got in touch with Jennifer Morgan. Throughout the entire process, Jennifer was extremely helpful and went above and beyond our..."

Rob and Sherry P.

"You will be delighted to know that both Tamim and I exchanged good words about you. We both agreed your enthusiasm and ability to compromise wins business. For example, I was dealing with 3 other..."

Raymond.

"Thank you for all the help with our alarm system quote helping us grasp the vital distinctions between the various models and monitoring services available. The installation team you sent were..."

Cliff.

View All