1.  Try leave a set of keys for your home with a friend or neighbour who lives close by when you go away.
2.  Tell them to pop in each day and draw the curtains
3.  Leave a spare vehicle in your driveway
4.  Tell your friend or neighbour to take in mail that is delivered daily
5.  Place all your valuable belongings in your safe
6.  Larger items of value like paintings should be hidden from obvious view
7.  Leave some internal lights on in your home
8.  Operate timers on external lights
9.  Make sure your alarm is active at all times
10. Only inform trustworthy people know that you are going away

Video footage from recent incidents have shown that "Crow Bar Gang" intruders will first ring a house's door bell to check if anyone is home. The crow bar gang prefers to break into a house where nobody is present. Homeowners often tell their staff  or children to never answer the door when it rings, if they are home alone. This is in fact wrong and if your door rings, answer it and make it know that someone is at home.