The Best Ways To Keep Your Home Safe While You’re On Vacation

Your home is almost like an extension of your family. It’s where you entertain, where you go to relax after a long day of work, and where your loved ones gather to spend time with one another. It’s susceptible to many dangers when you’re away for long periods of time, however, and it’s important to be prepared for those issues and know how to prevent them. 

Fire and burglary are two of the most common worries a homeowner faces during a vacation, but fortunately there are many simple things you can do to prevent both. With some home security preparation, you can ensure your home will stay safe with or without you there. Read on to find out the best ways to do just that, then check out Redfin’s guide for more home security tips.

Check your connections

Since you’re not going to be needing most of your electrical devices and appliances while you’re away, unplug as many as you can to reduce the risk of an electrical fire in your absence. You never know when a power surge could occur, and the less you have to worry about the better. Unplug items like TVs, toaster ovens, computers, floor fans, and lamps. Even your cable box, modem, and router can take a little rest while you’re away.

Don’t announce your plans to travel

It might be tempting to share your plans for your much-needed vacation on social media, but doing so just means you’ve let whoever has access to your page know you’ll be leaving your house unoccupied for a while. If you do talk about traveling on social media, always check your privacy settings to make sure only people you know can see it. 

It is a good idea to let your neighbors know if you’ll be gone for a while, and if you’re comfortable with doing so, ask them to pick up newspapers from your porch or take care of anything that might alert a potential burglar to the fact that no one has been home for a while. 

Beware of dog

If you’ll be going out of town and have a pet at home, it might be to your advantage to hire a pet sitter instead of bringing him along. Dogs, especially, are advantageous to have around when burglars are prowling, as they are often deterred by barking. If you don’t have a dog, installing a “Beware of Dog” sign on your fence or gate might help keep thieves away anyway. 

Watch those pipes

If you’re taking a winter vacation, you’ll need to make sure you won’t come home to a house flooded with icy water. Keep an eye on the weather and when the temps dip down below freezing, leave a faucet barely dripping to help prevent the pipes from freezing. If you’re going out of town, have a friend come over and make sure the water is still flowing easily.

Make the place look occupied

It’s tempting to shut all the curtains and turn off all the lights, but a better strategy is to make your house look like someone is home. Make it look the way it typically does from day-to-day so that it doesn’t draw any attention to itself. You can put your lights on timers with a specific program, so if anyone unsavory does happen to be keeping an eye on your house it will look like people are around.

Your vacation should be relaxing and without worries, especially when it comes to leaving your home. Keep these tips in mind for happier travels and a surprise-free return.

Author: Michael Bourke (scicamps.org)

Photo Credit: Photo via Pixabay by tpsdav