Few things are worse than returning from vacation to find your home had unwelcome visitors. While we spend a lot of time planning a trip, it is easy to neglect a plan for your home’s safety until the last minute.

Here is a checklist to help keep your home as safe as possible in your absence:

• Lock all doors and windows, including garage and upstairs windows. Replace any broken locks and place a heavy wooden dowel in sliding door tracks in addition to the lock. If you have a garage attached to the residence, make sure to lock the door leading from the garage to the house.

• Stop all mail and newspaper delivery, or ask a friend, neighbor or family member to bring it into your home each day. (They can also make sure everything is secure inside.)

• Close all the curtains and blinds, and set timers on at least one light and one television to give your home a lived-in appearance. Consider installing a motion-detecting light outside your home.

• If you have an alarm system, let someone on your callback list know you will be gone. Then if the alarm sounds, the callback person will be prepared to meet the police at your home.

• Make sure the driveway and sidewalks are shoveled in the winter, and the grass is mowed in the summer. Ask someone to keep up with these tasks while you’re away.

• If you’re leaving a vehicle at home, remove any valuables and lock the doors, even if it is in the garage. Another good idea is to ask a neighbor to park in the driveway while you are gone.

• Don’t leave house keys hidden outside. Give them to a friend, neighbor or family member instead for emergencies. Give this person’s contact information to the alarm company incase of a problem.

• If you will miss trash collection day, have someone take your cans to the curb and then take them back in once the garbage is picked-up.

• Move valuables (jewelry, coins, important papers, etc) to a safety deposit box or fire-proof safe.

• Unplug computers, televisions and any appliance that would be damaged by a power surge. Shut off the water to your washing machine. (The hoses are notorious for breaking and causing a flood.) Also, clean out your refrigerator.

• Don’t change the message on your answering machine. Look in your owner’s manual to learn how to check messages from an outside phone.

• Make sure your address can be seen clearly from the street for emergency service personnel. Also, keep your trees trimmed up to seven feet and shrubbery trimmed down to three feet to provide a clear line of sight to see possible criminal activity.

• Sign up for property checks by the Lawrence Police Department by filling out the online form at http://police.lawrenceks.org/content/property-checks-lkpd.