While you're planning for a big family trip, a burglar may be making plans to spend a little time at your house while you're away.

"The main thing we want to do is have the house look lived in. We don't want it to look abandoned," Trooper Joe Reeves said.

Timers on lights are a good way to achieve that "lived in" look. You should use several different timers in various parts of your home, and there are now timers you can place on wall-mounted light switches to turn overhead or outdoor lights on and off.

"Another good tip is to leave lights placed in windows. That way it's harder for people to look in and see because of the reflection," said Victoria Conley, with Crime Prevention.

Sound is also a great deterrent to a burglar. Many late-model TVs have timers on them that you can use to turn your TV on and off at certain hours.

Outside, make sure your grass is cut. Don't leave a vehicle parked in your driveway all week and remember to stop your mail delivery.

Overgrown bushes near windows of your house make great cover for a burglar.

"Keep those pruned back so those windows are visible from the street and your neighbors can look out their windows and see if anyone is trying to break in that window or another area of the house," Reeves said.

Protecting your house is about more than just what you do, it's also about what you say and to whom you say it. You need to think twice about who knows about your vacation, when you're leaving and when you're coming back.

Sgt. Sonya Johnson recently dealt with a burglary victim who said too much.

"The friends shared information with people they thought were friends, but when they looked back they realized they shouldn't have told them anything," Johnson said.

Tell them all about the trip afterward, but while you're gone, make it look like you never left home.