Tips for Keeping Your Home Safe While You Travel
After months of lockdowns and quarantining, we’re finally at a point where people are ready to leave their homes and explore the country and even the world. Apart from the planning part, traveling should be fun and stress free. However, if you’re leaving your home behind without roommates or family members to keep it safe, you run the risk of it being vulnerable to intruders or damage. There are a lot of things that you’ll want to take care of before you go on your merry way. Here are a few of the most basic yet important tips for keeping your home safe while you travel.
Run a Test on Your Alarms
Before you leave, do a run through of any alarms and smoke detectors in the house. Check the batteries and make sure that they are functioning properly. These alarms and detectors will help protect your home from fires, carbon monoxide, and intruders while you’re away– if they’re dead, they can’t serve their purpose.
If you use a security system in your home, test it out prior to leaving. Further, if you don’t own a home security system, now would be a good time to purchase one. There are a variety of options that come at different price points. Choose one that will work well for your living situation.
Hide Your Valuables
Obviously, hiding items like televisions and surround sounds isn’t practical, but securing expensive and valuable items is a smart thing to do before leaving. This can go for just about anything, but some items to keep in mind include:
- Fine jewelry
- Cash
- Passports
- Weapons
- Social security cards
- Heirlooms
Placing these items in a secured spot will help keep your home from becoming vulnerable to burglars who are on the lookout for items like these.
Let Neighbors or Friends Know
Another thing you can do to keep your home safe and secure is to let neighbors or friends know that you will be gone. If you don’t live in a populated area, have a friend or family member stop by and do a run through while you are gone. If you do live in an area with more people, give the neighbors notice of your absence. Some areas have a neighborhood crime reporting system that involves members of the neighborhood to report suspicious activity to the local authorities.
If you’re an avid traveler thinking of buying a house soon after calculating what you can afford via a home affordability calculator, look for a home in an area with a neighborhood crime watch.
Keep Plumbing and HVAC in Mind
Do you live in an area with colder seasons and plan on traveling in the fall? Come up with a plan to keep your pipes safe from cracking. Planning a trip during the summer and have an air conditioning unit? Set your system up for success so that it doesn’t constantly run all day. This could lead to it freezing over and breaking your air conditioner. Do a quick run through of your plumbing and HVAC systems to prevent overuse and damage.
Following the tips above and doing a sweep-through of your home before jetsetting are just among the few ways to keep your home safe and secure when you travel. Enjoy your time away and leave the stress behind this vacation!