Late summer is getaway season in Northwest Indiana — a week at the lake, a last road trip before school starts. Before you load the car, give vacation home security ten minutes of real attention. An empty house announces itself, and the goal is to make yours look and act occupied.
Start With Every Lock, Not Just the Front Door
Walk the house like a stranger would. Test the deadbolt on every exterior door, lock every window including the basement and second floor, and drop a security bar or dowel into sliding door tracks. Do not forget the door between the garage and the house — many families leave it unlocked out of habit, which makes the garage door the only barrier.
Make the House Look Lived-In
Piled-up mail and packages are the classic giveaway. Pause deliveries or ask a neighbor to collect them daily. Put a couple of lamps on timers set to your normal evening pattern, and arrange lawn mowing if you will be gone more than a week. If you have a trusted neighbor, let them park in your driveway occasionally.
Vacation Home Security Gets Easier With Smart Locks
If a house sitter, pet sitter, or plant-waterer needs access, a smart lock or coded deadbolt beats hiding a key outside. You can issue a temporary code, see when it was used, and delete it when you return. No key floats around, and nothing is waiting under a rock by the porch.
Handle Problems Before You Leave, Not After
A deadbolt that does not fully extend or a slider that does not latch is exactly the weakness you do not want discovered while you are three states away. If anything on your doors feels loose or unreliable, have it serviced before the trip.
Heading out from Gary, Chesterton, or anywhere near the Indiana Dunes? Jacob’s Lock and Key can check, repair, or upgrade your locks before you go — call (219) 342-5595, seven days a week, 7 AM to 11 PM.
Last updated: 08/15/2026