Tips For Securing Your Home While You Are Away On Vacation

If something went wrong inside your home, while you were away on vacation would it be a total disaster? For instance, say a pipe burst. Would you be coming home to a house full of water or did you take the proper precautions? Coming home from a vacation is already gloomy enough. Don’t make it ten times worse, by coming home to a total disaster. This is not to even mention the fact that your home is susceptible to burglars while you are away.

Reading all of this probably has you a little comprehensive about taking a vacation. Don’t worry there are precautions that you can take to make sure that your home or apartment is safe and sound while you are enjoying your glorious vacation.

Don’t Be Shy, Ask For Help

This may seem a little self explanatory, but you would be surprised home many people leave their homes for long period of time without any watchful eyes watching over it. Don’t be afraid to ask your best friend or neighbors to keep an eye on your place, while you are away. Heck, even bribe them a bit, if you have to. Tell them you will bring them back a little keepsake or two.

Give them a set of keys and ask them to come by at least once a day to check of the place, water the plants, feed the pets, or whatever else may need to be done. Maybe you are fortunate enough to have a neighborhood watch organization in your area. This would be a great alternative. It should go without saying, but make sure you are asking someone that you totally trust.

Broadcasting Your Going Away

In today’s world, everyone likes to post his or her comings and goings online. This is something that you want to avoid altogether. Do not use Facebook or Twitter to send out notification that you are going on vacation. If you must notify your friends then do it by e-mail. It is possible that you could have an old enemy watching your every move just waiting for a chance to strike.

Another big mistake would be to chance your answering machine message. Do not tell callers that you are away on vacation. This may seem like it is going overboard, but you never know.

Speaking With The Authorities

If you are going to be going away for a week or more, it is always a great ideal to notify the locals authorities and let them know. You might get lucky and the police might be willing to throw your home into one of their local patrols. Leave your cell phone number with the authorities so that they can get in touch with you if need be.

Let The Light Shine

After reading this article most people will probably be tempted to leave their lights on while they are away on vacation. That won’t be totally necessary. Instead you can go out and purchase an inexpensive light switch timer. This will cycle your lights off and on over a set time period. The last thing you want is an outrageous electric bill.

You can purchase a Home Automation HUB and Smart light bulbs. These devices will allow you to create a scheduled lighting event, so when you are away the lights will automatically shut on and off at dusk/dawn.

Mail Time

You want to make sure that you put a stop order on your mail or have someone pick it up for you. If you have a mailbox stuffed full of mail this is going to catch the attention of burglars. Not to mention that your personal information may be at risk. You would be surprised at how easy it is for someone to steal your identify these days.

Frozen Pipes

If you live in an area where the weather is cold all year around, or if you are going on vacation during the wintertime you have to know that you pipes can freeze. The best way to avoid this is to turn the faucet on enough so that water is barely dripping out. This will not cause your water bill to skyrocket and it will prevent your pipes from freezing.

Smart Locks

Smart Locks are very intelligent devices that can alert you every time someone accesses your home. If an unexpected visitors tries to gain access to your home or just walks onto the entranceway, you will immediately be notified via your iPhone or tablet.