We all lead busy lives. We're at work, school or taking our kids to soccer practice. The list goes on and on. When we get free time or finally say enough is enough and take a vacation, we like to get away. What does all this mean? Our homes are rarely occupied. Sure, we sleep there and spend lazy Sunday mornings lounging around (when there's no soccer practice to go to) but other than that, we tend to not be home.

The problem is, that's where your possessions are. Your material items, pets and even the home itself must be properly protected when you aren't there. Understanding the risks associated with your home's protection and mitigating them ahead of time can not only reduce insurance costs, it will ultimately keep everything you care about safe. 

Here are some tips to protect your home:

• Make it look like someone's there: Even if no one is home and won't be until the end of the day, you don't want to advertise to the general public that your home is unoccupied. If you leave a light on or some other indication that someone is home, particularly if you're gone overnight, you can divert would-be burglars. Of course, be mindful of how long you're going to be away, as you don't want to return from a two-week vacation to find an electric bill larger than your mortgage.
• Keep everything locked: Fortunately, it's still the time of year when it's best to keep everything shut and locked for weather purposes, but spring is just around the corner and the weather will eventually get better. It may be tempting to leave a window open to air our your house as you head to the store, but if you're going to be away for any extended period of time make sure all windows and doors are locked.
• Be mindful of where you put your keys: You probably keep your main set of keys on you at all times, but do you have a spare set laying around? Or, do you keep a spare house key outside under a rock or in the mailbox? Doing so can be convenient and extremely helpful if you happen to forget or lose your main set, but be careful about where you keep it. Criminals know where to look.