The hot weather is leading to a spike in break and enters, prompting a now monthly reminder from police to keep doors and windows locked at all times.  If you’ll be gone over the holiday weekend, the last thing you want is to come home to find your home had been burglarized. But there are some things you can do to make your house less attractive to the bad guys.

To help protect your home, APD has some recommendations.

“If you’re going out of town, let your neighbor know. Let someone know,” said Sgt. Fairbanks. “Keep your house secure. Keep your doors locked, your windows locked and don’t leave any valuables around where people can see them.”

Rich says he’s taken precautions to make sure break-ins don’t happen again, even installing an alarm system.

“That gives me a lot more peace of mind,” he said. “And, it doesn’t matter if they try to get through a door or a window, the alarm system is going to pick them up no matter what happens.”

He hopes the extra protection will go a long way in keeping his family and their belongings, safe.

APD says if you notice that your home has been burglarized, call them immediately. They say there’s a chance that the burglar could still be inside. So, they want you to wait until police get there before trying to get in.

Some more tips from APD:

– Do not leave your valuables exposed in your vehicle.

– Keep vehicle doors and windows locked.

– If you have an alarm, use it.

– Make sure your contact information in current with your alarm company.

– Let someone know if you are going out of town and leave a contact number with a relative or neighbor.

– Do not leave items of value in your yard, this may lead to temptation.

– Keep trees and shrubs clipped back to prevent a hiding place for burglars.

– Install motion censor lights.

– If someone is house setting, let your neighbors know who they are, what they drive and when they will be there.

– Join your neighborhood watch group.

11 Printable Home Inventory Forms

Home inventory forms can be valuable resources when it comes to accounting for your hard-earned belongings. People may put off doing an inventory of their household and personal items for a variety of reasons — perhaps they don’t know how to home inventory, or maybe it’s just difficult to find the time to catalogue what they own.

Making Home Inventory Easier

Today there are a variety of ways to make it easier to do a home inventory. You can purchase or find free inventory or software programs, or even hire a home inventory company to complete this task for you.

For many people, however, it’s easily within their grasp to do the inventory themselves. Online home inventory forms or checklists can make what seems like a daunting task relatively simple and painless. It may take a bit of time to accurately complete the inventory, but carving out that slice of time from your weekend is a task you won’t regret in case of unforeseeable circumstances, such as fire, flood, theft, or other disasters. Without an accurate and detailed list of your belongings, you may be at a great disadvantage when it comes to receiving compensation from your insurance.

11 Free Printable Home Inventory Forms

Although many of the most common household items are noted, be sure to include other items you own, with special notation on items that are rare or costly. When you’ve completed your forms, sign and date them. Check with your insurance to find our exactly what your coverage is and for any possible limits on particular items, such as jewelry or collectibles. Your insurance agent can work with you to make sure you have the best coverage for what you own.

LoveToKnow offers convenient, free home inventory forms that you can customize, save, print and edit.

• General Home Inventory Form
• Living Room Home Inventory Form
• Dining Room Home Inventory Form
• Family Room Home Inventory Form
• Bedroom Home Inventory Form
• Home Office Inventory Form
• Kitchen Home Inventory Form
• Laundry Room Home Inventory Form
• Home Storage Inventory Form
• Bathroom Home Inventory Form
• Patio or Deck Home Inventory Form