Statistics show that a burglary happens every 30 seconds in the United States. Most of these are not when you are home but rather when the house is empty while you are at work or on vacation. While most of your vacation planning energy goes toward the trip itself, it is important to make sure you prepare your home for your absence too. Keep reading to learn tips on how to prepare your home before you leave.
Add Security Measures
Do you have a security system for your home? Is there any type of device that alerts you of movement when you aren’t there?
Adding security measures to your home can give you peace of mind that you have an extra layer of protection for the home. Motion lights outside can help deter thieves that don’t want to draw unwanted attention from your neighbors who know that there is no one there. There are now a variety of at home security systems that alert you to activity via an app or phone call.
Lighting that operates on a timer can make it look like there is someone home in the evenings. You can customize when you would like the lights to come on and shut off. This won’t add much to your electric bill, yet can be enough to make it look normal from the outside to potential threats.
Neighborhood Watch
Chances are high that you are familiar or maybe even friends with your neighbors. Enlisting their help to look after your property can be a tremendous help when you are away. They are familiar with what things look like on a day to day basis and are more likely to notice anything strange. Living in close proximity means that they can grab your mail and respond quickly if something triggers your alarm.
Put Orders on Pause
You may have multiple TV subscriptions that you won’t be utilizing over the course of your travels. You can save money by cancelling these subscriptions until you are ready to use them again.
Do you wish there was a way to pause or customize how often you were subscribing to something? You are in luck with this coffee subscription that allows you to customize how much coffee you order and how often you order it. You can have it paused while you are on vacation and get it delivered when you get home to have a fresh roast ready to combat jet lag.
Empty the Fridge
Leaving the leftovers in the fridge for a month can produce an extreme smell that lingers when you return. Doing your best to empty out your fridge before leaving can help you avoid any moldy surprises.
This can be a part of a larger cleaning process you do to get your home clean before you leave so that you don’t come home to a messy space after time on the road.
Set up Bill Payments in Advance
Automatic payments are a great thing for vacations because you know that your bills will be taken care of and don’t have to worry about having internet access to pay them. Any bills that aren’t enrolled in automatic payments should be prepared before you leave so that you don’t incur any late fees for your credit card or electric bill.
If you aren’t sure if this is possible, you can contact the company and make a payment over the phone in advance to avoid the fees as well. You can focus on saving your money for your future travels and not spending it on services that you really don’t need.
Hire Landscaping or Snow Services
Depending on the time of year, it is a good idea to hire someone to come by to mow the lawn or shovel/plow your driveway when you are away. Leaving these areas untouched for a few weeks or a month can indicate to potential thieves that the house is empty.
Prepare Early for Vacation
Now that you have read more about how to prepare your home for vacation, you can see that this is a process and takes planning ahead of time. A trip overseas or to the other side of the world will be much less stressful if you can have peace of mind that your home will be taken care of in your absence.
I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!
Speak Your Mind