Heading out of town for a long weekend (or longer)?

The iron’s not the only thing you’ll have to check!

The Mirror shares the mistakes people make when going away that can encourage home burglaries and invasions:

Leaving lights on when you’re not home  For one night, you’ll be fine (or if they’re on a timer)…but leaving them on multiple days in a row might make it obvious there’s no one at home.

Leaving a key under the mat  Where’s the first place they’ll check? Yup! Pretty much any other hiding place is better than that.

Leaving your blinds or curtains open Robbers love to window shop just like we do…and open windows are an invitation to check out all your big ticket items from the street.

Buying something expensive, then leaving the empty box outside  When you get a new flat screen TV, don’t let the box sit out by your trash all week and definitely don’t leave it there when you’re out of town.

Having a ladder outside where they can access it  Sounds obvious, right? If burglars have easy access to one, they’re more likely to target your home especially if you’ve left an upstairs window open.