Secure Your Home Before You Travel

When we are planning trips we tend to get preoccupied with the fun we expect to have. Our worries tend to be focused on what might go wrong and how to avoid vacation disasters, but we seldom think about what might happen at home while we are gone. A little planning ahead can save you from coming home to find disaster struck while you were away.

Start with finding a reliable house sitter that can stop in to make it look like someone is home. Ask them to change the lights that are left on so there is no noticeable pattern to indicate your absence. Make sure they have a contact number to reach you in case of emergencies while you are away.

If you don’t have anyone to watch your house, invest in a smart home assistant device that can be activated remotely, like Alexa or the aptly named Home Assistant These tools let you control virtually everything around the house from anywhere you have an internet connection. Including a smart doorbell service like Ring in your arsenal provides an added level of security and peace of mind.

Be sure to suspend your mail delivery service while you are away as a pile of mail bursting out of your mailbox is a sure-fire indication you haven’t been home for a few days. Vacation holds are easy and can be done online through the postal service.

Uplugging electronics and any items that might leak water is an easy way to keep your electric bill down or to prevent any unnecessary damage in the event of a power surge or a natural disaster like an earthquake.