After the dream engagement comes the dream wedding. After the dream wedding comes the dream honeymoon. After the dream honeymoon comes … home invasion claims and home insurance hikes?
In 2014, there were 8,277,829 property crimes reported by law enforcement in the United States, according to the FBI. Since coming home to a ransacked house does not fit into your dream plan, here are five precautions you and your significant other should take before leaving to make sure that everything is as it should be when you return.

Secure Your Home

Adding a security camera system into your home does not only offer a sense of security while you are on your honeymoon — it is also the No. 1 deterrent of break-ins, according to SecurAmerica. If you choose a camera security system with remote access, you can check the cameras from wherever you are through an Internet connection. A home without a home security system is three times more likely to be broken into than a home with a security system, so a home security monitoring system is the surest measure to take to prevent burglaries while you are away.

Think Before You Post

Avoid announcing your departure on social media sites. Though you may be tempted to boast about your romantic honeymoon getaway, do not mention specific times or dates anywhere online. A friend of a friend is not necessarily your friend. Through modern social media, we are all interconnected, so any information you post can be readily used against you.

Entrust a Friend or Neighbor

Though online communication may get you in trouble, asking an in-person friend can prove extremely helpful. Aside from burglary, most vacationing honeymooners worry that something may go wrong inside the house while they are not there to intervene. A pipe could burst. There could be an electrical fire. Entrusting a key to your home to a close friend or neighbor can offer peace of mind. If this person is willing, he or she can enter the house and alternate the lighting left on, so the same lights do not burn consistently, which is a tale-tell sign that no one is home.

Hold the Mail

If you are going to be gone longer than a few days, you need to request that the post office hold your mail. An overflowing mailbox is a beacon light to a would-be thief. The same goes for newspapers. If you have a subscription, place a hold on it as well, or ask your friend or neighbor to kindly pick up the copies as they come.

Curtains: Open or Closed

This last tip is probably the most debated among couples as they prepare to leave their homes. Curtains open or closed? If they are closed, peepers will not be able to check inside for signs of life, but curtains that never seem to open may look suspiciously unattended. But leaving curtains open while you are on vacation allows the entire world a full view of your vulnerable home. What to do?

Police recommend that you leave your curtains or drapes exactly as you would if you were home. If they are normally closed, leave them closed. If you usually have them open, leave them open. The reason for this is because burglars case homes from the outside and look for signs of change. So leave the curtains or drapes in the position that you would have them in if you were home to avoid drawing attention to them.