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Time for a Vacation: Tips to Prepare Your Home before Leaving

Ariel January 7, 2015

travel

When you feel it is time to leave for vacation, you actually have a lot of planning ahead of you, it is not as easy as many think to just pack up and leave for a well-deserved holiday. The most crucial thing to consider is that your home will be left alone and unattended in most cases, which means that burglars have a green light to peek inside and pack out whatever they like.

Fortunately, there are many ways to confuse burglars and to make them think that there is someone in the house, even though you are not at home.

Make your home lively

The first sign any burglar would look for is minimal movement and darkness in your home, so you will have to make sure that your home looks like there is someone inside. Setting up automated lights, and automatically turning on electrical appliances will give the illusion of someone being in the house.

Make sure that you have a neighbour to count on who will be able to pick up your mail or newspaper during your vacation so that it will seem like there is someone at home, also ask them to help keep your lawn mowed. You can also ask them to park in front of your home, so that people will think that there is someone at home.

Hide spare keys

Many believe that hiding keys in different places will give a burglar a harder time trying to find out, however, it is better to hide the keys in plain sight. This is a great method because whoever wants to break in will immediately look for common places where people hide keys; this way the burglar will lose valuable time, and maybe give up altogether.

Decal your home

Even if you do not have a security system installed, it is a good idea to place stickers and signs around your home to scare off burglars; they will think that there is in fact a security system installed, and maybe they will decide to leave your home alone.

Be energy conscious

protect the plumbing

Make sure that when you leave on vacation that you turn off all water valves in dangerous areas like the kitchen and bathroom, so that you can avoid any risky situations as advised by LPZ Plumbing Services. They also said that if you’re destined for a longer absence, it is wise to shut off the main water valves, but also have your neighbour or a friend turn on the water and let it run the faucets from time to time (once a month at least) so the risk of dried and cracked plumbing fixtures would be reduced.

Moreover, turn the electricity off for some parts of your home, not only will you save energy, but you will also make sure that there are no potential hazards in your home while you are away. As important as it is to make sure your home is secured, you also have to make sure that you home does not become a hazard while you are away.

A safe home

A safe home

You will need to secure your home from burglars, but you will also have to make sure that your home stays in one piece until you come back. Fortunately, many features of the house can be turned off manually, and for some you can always ask your neighbor to help out; but remember to return the favour as well.

Remember that by securing your home properly, you are making sure that your vacation is going to be stress free and that you can focus on relaxing and having a good time; without having to wonder what might be happening home.


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