How to Keep Your Home Safe While You’re Away on Vacation

Many of us are already planning the next holiday trip and this should be the time to make some basic security precautions and upgrades. You should do the basic things like setting timers for your home lighting system and securing the locks and doors. Experts suggest that you should make your home appear as if you are still around. You should arrange for someone to visit your home regularly to water the plants, keep the yard tidy, take the garbage out, remove the snow from the lawn, check for damages to your drainage and so on, and pick up the mails.

Make sure you do all these things before you leave, and install timers that will periodically turn on and off the lights and leave your curtains like you normally keep them.

Securing Your Home and Properties While on Holiday

It is important that you secure your doors and windows before going on holiday. Lock all doors, including the garage door, also pay attention to pet doors, and double-check the safety latches on the exterior doors and windows. It is also important that you avoid making your holiday plans public. There are opportunistic burglars out there looking for an opportunity to know about your plans before striking your home. You should consider removing GPS from your car if you plan to use long-term parking at the airport. A portable GPS in your car can alert thieves to your absence from home.

Other Security Tips to Keep Your Home Safe When on Vacation

Additional Security Tips to Keep Your Home Safe While on Vacation

You should invest some funds into the installation of updated security features that will make your home safer and less attractive to burglars, before embarking on a vacation. Security cameras and exterior lights that run on timers are some of the things you should invest in. It is important that you unplug all electronics before traveling. TVs, desktop computers, dishwashers, and all other unused appliances must be disconnected to protect them from power surges. You need to lockup all your valuable items just before traveling. You may keep key documents with family members or lock them in the safe or bank until you return. Make sure you review your home insurance to ensure that it doesn’t get voided by any exclusions on your path.

Prevent Any Water Damage While You are Away

It is important that you shut off the main water supply valve before leaving home for a vacation. It is also important that you drain your pipes completely, and turn off the water supply to steam heating. To prevent pipes from freezing, you may want to allow water supply to remain on in the winter season but have someone stop by to turn the faucet on and allow water drip occasionally. If your home is protected by a water sprinkler, you should not turn off the water supply.