Make sure you can really relax on your next getaway by taking these extra safety precautions.

Enlist a trusted neighbor or family member to keep an eye out, park a car in your driveway, and have the lawn mowed or the walks shoveled. The fewer clues you give that your house is vacant, the better.

Don’t leave e-mail or phone messages saying you’re away. Forgo the “automatic vacation reply” feature on e-mail and keep a generic message on your answering machine. Use call forwarding to screen phone calls from the road.

Suspend delivery of newspapers and mail, or have someone collect them for you. Avoid telltale pileups. To a thief, they’re an open-house invitation.