Going on Vacation? Protect your home while you're away
Use these pointers to protect your home and help ensure that you don’t find any nasty surprises when you return from Vacation:
Make your Home Secure
- Ensure that all your doors and windows are locked and secure. Place a bar in the lower track of sliding doors and windows.
- Remember to lock your garage door, and if you have an automatic garage door opener, you may consider unplugging it.
- Invest in high-quality, name-brand door deadbolt locks for all exterior doors.
- Keep Valuables out of sight from the windows, and don’t leave your valuables in your top dresser drawer- that’s the first place thieves look! Move them to a more discrete hiding place.
- Consider a home security system. Thieves are less likely to choose a home that displays a security system sticker. A 24-hour monitored home security would be most effective.
Prevent Water Damage
- At minimum, if you’re going away for the weekend, shut your water supply off for your laundry tub. If you’re planning a vacation for a week or more, consider turning off the main supply of water to the home pipe bursts are frequent, especially in the winter.
Make your Home Look Lived In
- Suspend your newspaper and mail delivery; or have a neighbor collect them for you.
- Don't tell too many people you are going to be away. Be especially careful on facebook and twitter.
- Have someone shovel the walk and clear your car off if it snows. If you are taking your car, have them park their car in your driveway. You can even ask a neighbor to put a bag of garbage at your curb on garbage day.
- If possible, get someone to check inside to make sure no pipes have burst while you are away. The longer a burst pipe is untended, the higher the possibility for water damage.
- Use light timers in multiple rooms. Many timers are adjustable, ensure that the lights in different rooms vary in timing to make your house appear lived in. Outdoor motion sensor lights in front and back are also effective deterrents.
- Inform a neighbour of your travel plans and ask them to keep an eye out for anything suspicious. Leave them with a Spare Key, a number where you can be contacted, and the phone number of a relative.