How To Keep Your Costa Rican Vacation Home Secure When You’re Away

Your Costa Rican vacation home should be your Pura Vida haven. If you spend too much time worrying about its security when you are away, it will start to become more and more of a stressor in your life.

Here are a few tips to consider that will help you keep your vacation home in Costa Rica secure each time you leave:

1. Hire A Property Manager

The best way to put your mind at ease when you leave your Costa Rican vacation home is to hire a property manager or a property management company. Not only will you have somebody to inspect and upkeep your place when you are away, you will also have help when you are in town – from maintenance to maid service.

If you are interested in finding a great property management company, contact Mercedes at Blue Moon Costa Rica: mercedes@bluemoonproperty.com

2. Offer A Short Term Rental

Whether or not you have hired a property manager, you should consider renting your Costa Rican vacation home when you are away. You win for two reasons:

• You get to benefit from extra profit

• You will have a presence in your home for security

Those who may be tempted to break in will be deterred when they see people living there.

3. Befriend A Trustworthy Neighbor

While the last thing you want to do is tell a less-than- trustworthy neighbor that you will be out of town, giving a heads-up to a great neighbor adds an extra set of watchful eyes on your property while you are away. Give them your number or email address to contact you or your property manager if they see anything suspicious.

4. Install Lights With Timers

The goal to keeping your Costa Rican home secure while you are away is to keep potential criminals believing that you never left. Put timers on your outdoor lights, so they pop on around dusk. A brightly lit area is also a deterrent in and of itself. Then add a timer to one or two indoor lights, so it looks like somebody is inside.

Also consider adding a timer to another electronic that might make potential thieves think somebody is home. Perhaps the timer will turn on the TV or the radio each evening.

5. Keep Desirable Items Out Of View

There is no need to flaunt any high-value items. What thieves don’t know you have – they don’t know they want. Either hide valuables or take them with you when you leave. In a country like Costa Rica where vehicles are so expensive, you may want to consider parking your car in a garage.

6. Avoid Signaling Your Leave

No matter what you do – do not make it a big show that you are leaving. There is no need to talk extensively about your time away in large public places where people could overhear. And never mention you will be leaving ahead of time on social media sites.

Before you leave, avoid putting up new large pad locks or any other equipment that suggests you will be gone for a while. And once you are gone, have somebody sweep near your front door, water any flowers, and check on the general upkeep so it does not look like you have been gone long.