An empty home advertises itself: piled-up mail, dark windows, no movement for weeks. Before a long trip, arrange the basics — mail held or collected, lights on timers, a trusted person checking in. Then handle the hardware: every exterior lock working smoothly, sliding doors and windows latched and pinned, and no spare key hidden outside (burglars know all the spots).
Consider upgrading before you go, not after something happens. A smart lock lets you grant a one-time code to the plant-sitter without a physical key; a video doorbell records every approach. High-security cylinders mean the keys you left with the sitter cannot be casually copied.
For frequent travelers, the deeper answer is layered: good locks, controlled keys, and visibility. We do pre-trip security walkthroughs across the West Side — an hour that finds the weak window latch and the tired deadbolt before a stranger does.