It’s time to take a break from the daily grind and plan some much needed travel. Whether you’re planning a spring break or already gearing up for summer camping trips, it’s best to know how to protect your home while you’re away. The last thing you want to do is worry about intruders or a home emergency like a basement or laundry room flooding to greet you when you return.
By putting a few protocols in place, you’ll be able to relax on your vacation and come home to see your home safe and secure. When planning your next vacation, make sure to follow the following helpful tips:
1) Enlist a friend or family member.
The best scenario is to have a trusted friend or family member check in on your place if you’ll be gone for a consecutive number of days. Better yet, if they’d like to housesit, then there will be someone at your home as often as you would be to do things such as check the mail, set alarms, and take care of anything unexpected.
2) Set up a security system.
A security system is great to have in place, especially if you travel a lot or your schedule keeps you away from home most of the day. If you have an alarm system, make sure your security company provides signs to post by your entryway to deter potential intruders. If your security company cannot provide these, you can get yard signs online for a relatively cheap price.
3) Read your insurance policy.
It’s always a good idea to have your home insurance policy up-to-date no matter what, but giving it a quick review and making sure your items have been properly accounted for is a good idea before leaving on a trip. Understand what your coverage means and know where you can find a copy of your policy for an extra sense of security.
4) Set timers.
While some may think it’s wise to leave a few lights on to look like someone is home, that wastes electricity and looks out of place if that’s not your normal way of doing things. Instead, set timers for your lights or install motion sensors. Schedule the same for your yard if you have a sprinkler system. Set it up the same way as if you were at home. Luckily, given the technological age that we live in, there are iPhone apps such as Alarm.com which allow you to tend to most of your timers and other alarm functions remotely.
5) Don’t leave a spare key.
We don’t like the idea of getting locked out of our homes accidentally, so many people will leave a spare key in a hidden place. However, it’s best to remove the spare key while you are away due to the fact that intruders will have more time to look for one if no one is home. Leave a key with a trusted neighbor in case there is a reason that a maintenance person needs to get into your home. If you have someone watching over your place while you’re away, don’t forget to bring them back a souvenir or offer a small gift of appreciation for their help.
As with anything, when traveling it’s best to be prepared, both back at home and away on your travels. Taking a few extra precautions to secure your home will provide you with a peace of mind before you take your next trip. Have any fun trips planned this summer? Where would be your ideal destination? Let me know down below in the comments.