Sukkot is two weeks away, the suitcases are already in the living room, and the whole neighbourhood is going away. The person looking for an empty apartment knows it too: the weeks of the chagim and the summer break are his season. The good news — most break-ins are opportunistic. The burglar looks for the easy door, and a door that's set up properly he simply skips.
After more than 25 years serving Beit Shemesh and the surrounding area, we opened a Locks & Security department with genuine Yale and Mul-T-Lock products — and here is what we tell every customer who walks in the week before a chag. Ten points, in the right order, from the most important to the small things that make the difference.
The checklist
- The cylinder in the front door. If you didn't install it, if a key was ever lost, or if it's ten years old or more — this is the time to replace it. A Mul-T-Lock cylinder with an owner card guarantees nobody copies a key while you're away. How to choose: the complete cylinder guide and the MTL800 vs MTL600 vs MTL400 comparison. Ten minutes of work, one screw.
- A top lock. The most meaningful upgrade to an existing door without replacing it: the Mul-T-Lock Hi-Lock set throws three more bolts into the frame and blocks the main lock's upper bolt. There is also a set with an MTL800 cylinder included.
- Windows, balcony and storage room. A tilted window ("open for air") is an open window. Close everything, including the bathroom. Storage door, gate and gas cabinet — a padlock with a shielded shackle, not the one that came with the cabinet. The Mul-T-Lock C10 padlock is a good starting point for a storage room.
- A safe for the things that don't come back. Jewellery, passports that aren't travelling with you, cash, the drive with the photos. A burglar goes straight to the bedroom and the drawers; a safe anchored to the wall turns that from a one-minute job into work with tools. How to choose a home safe — size, lock, fire and anchoring.
- A smart lock — because someone has to water the plants. With the Yale Linus L2 you give the neighbour a temporary code that's deleted when you're back, see every opening on your phone, and lock remotely if you forgot. With the kit with a keypad nobody needs a physical key at all. And for Shabbat-observant homes: Shabbat mode approved by Machon Tzomet.
- See who's at the door from anywhere. A video doorbell and a camera on the same app: someone rings, you answer from the hotel, and he doesn't know you're away. It's the simplest deterrent there is. We carry Yale's doorbell and cameras in the department.
- Light, noise and life. A Shabbat timer or a smart plug on a lamp in the living room and a bedroom, at different hours. Not every shutter closed all the way. A neighbour who empties the mailbox and moves the bins. A home that looks lived-in doesn't get a visit.
- Don't announce that you're away. Trip photos — when you're back. A "heading to the airport" WhatsApp status — no. An outgoing message on the landline saying "we're away until the 5th" is an invitation.
- Keys. Not under the mat, not in the flowerpot, not in the electrical cabinet. A key with a trusted neighbour, or a temporary code on the smart lock. And the cylinder's owner card — in the safe, not on the key ring.
- Tradespeople: the work van. A van full of tools parked outside the house for a week is a target. Mul-T-Lock external locks for commercial vehicles on the rear and side doors — or simply empty the van before the trip.
And when you get back
Before you go in, look: marks around the cylinder, scratches on the frame, a window not the way you left it. If something looks wrong — don't go in, call the police. And if a key was lost during the trip, even if it "probably fell in the sea" — replace the cylinder that same week. It costs less than the insurance deductible.
Frequently asked questions
How long before the trip should I start?
Cylinder and padlocks — a day. A top lock or a smart lock — a week before is best, to get used to it and give the neighbour the code in time. A safe — a few days, including the anchoring.
If I do only one thing, which one?
A High Security cylinder in a sound steel door. That is what takes you off the easy-door list.
Is a camera alone enough?
A camera deters and records, but it doesn't lock. The right order: a good lock first, camera and video doorbell as the second layer.
Does my insurance have requirements while I'm away?
Many policies require the apartment to be locked with working locks, and some limit cover after a long absence or require a safe for jewellery. Two minutes with the policy before the trip.
The bottom line
The burglar picks the easy door. A good cylinder, a top lock, closed windows, an anchored safe and a home that looks lived-in — and that's no longer you. This list takes an hour to go through, and most of the products you can install yourself.
Travelling soon? Send us a photo of your door from inside and outside on WhatsApp and we'll tell you what's worth sorting out first. You can also call 02-9910450, or drop into the shop at 19 Yitzhak Rabin Road, Beit Shemesh. Straight advice, genuine products, and 25 years of serving Beit Shemesh. Chag sameach and safe travels.
Shop online: MTL600 cylinder | Hi-Lock top lock | padlocks | safes | Yale Linus L2 | the whole Locks & Security department
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