4 home security precautions you should always take when house sitting

Watching over another person's home is a big responsibility. When you are house sitting, not only are you in charge of overseeing the house's maintenance, but also its safety. To keep homes safe, there are some important security precautions you should take when house sitting. Check out more helpful information for house sitters below.

This one might seem obvious, but even if you live in a neighbourhood where you can leave your doors unlocked, you should always lock the doors of a home you are house sitting. Locking the doors will ensure that you keep the owners' belongings safe, in the case of an emergency or break-in. Make sure you take the keys with you whenever you leave the house so you don't get locked out.

Most houses have an alarm code that will allow you to arm the house alarm system when you leave it, or, while you're asleep. If the house you are house sitting has an alarm, make sure you ask the homeowners for the alarm code.

If they are comfortable giving it to you, they should give you both the code and the password to tell the alarm company should the alarm accidentally go off while you are there. The password will allow you to tell the company that the alarm was a mistake and that they don't need to send police.

One of the most important ways to keep a home safe is to make it look like somebody is at home. So, gather the newspapers that are thrown on the lawn, and make sure you get the mail every day. Newspapers that pile up or mail that gathers in the mailbox is a sign to potential intruders that the homeowners are away. Make the house looked lived in so people looking for empty houses to rob will know that you are there.

Potential burglars are drawn closely to dark homes, because they can sneak into areas without being seen. So, learn where the outside lights are on the house you are house sitting, and keep them on at night. Also, ask the homeowner if there are motion-activated security lights you should switch on. These lights turn on when there is someone walking near the house and can alert you if someone is approaching.