Get Your Home Ready for Your Travel With These 8 Expert Tips
Planning a trip, be it for business or leisure, demands thorough preparation, even for short durations. Ensuring suitable attire for planned activities? Check. Carrying essential identification? Check. But what about securing your home before you leave? While locking doors and windows is standard, there’s a plethora of home readiness measures to consider for a worry-free trip.
Explore expert advice for often-overlooked steps in securing your home before your departure. Discover essential tips to prepare your residence for your absence.
Put Safety First
When leaving your home unattended during your travels, implementing a safety strategy becomes crucial. Consider installing an alarm system to enhance security and peace of mind. Notify your monitoring service about your absence to heighten their alertness in case of emergencies like break-ins or fires, ensuring a swift response from authorities. This proactive approach helps safeguard your property while you’re away.
Beyond thwarting burglaries, safeguarding your home against utility mishaps is crucial. Unforeseen weather or calamities might trigger water pipe bursts, leading to distressing floods. Prevent such incidents by shutting off your water supply at the main valve, typically located in the ground near your property. Following this advice from Hubert Miles helps avert unwelcome surprises and protects your home from potential water-related disasters.
Are your appliances fueled by gas? Turn off the valves to each so you can avoid the danger of a leak or fire. Unplugging your electronics will also reduce the risk of sparking a fire while you are away.
Clean Up Outside
Ensuring your yard and home exterior appear well-maintained is crucial in preventing your property from becoming a target during your absence. Clearing your driveway and sidewalk after snowfall not only creates the illusion of an occupied home but also serves as a proactive measure for regular maintenance. However, removing snow serves a dual purpose beyond home security.
Preventing slips and falls on your sidewalk or driveway is crucial, as it can shield you from potential legal liabilities. Many municipalities mandate clearing walkways within 24 hours after snowfall to ensure safety.
Whether you’re expecting snow or sunshine, it’s essential to plan ahead. In snowy conditions, check the forecast and arrange for someone to clear your driveway before you return home. Similarly, in warmer months or areas with different climates, take care of your yard before leaving. Ensure the lawn is mowed prior to your departure, and if you’ll be away for an extended period, make arrangements for regular grass cutting to maintain its appearance.
Tidy Things Indoors
Returning from a business trip or a rejuvenating vacation can be draining, especially after the energy spent on travel. Walking into a disheveled home exacerbates the exhaustion.
Optimize your return to everyday life by tidying up before you leave. Ensure the dishwasher is running, clear the washing machine, and tidy up for a fresh homecoming. A clean space awaits, eliminating any unwelcome scents upon your arrival.
Ensure a fresh departure by removing all household trash before you leave. Even the tiniest bit of garbage can quickly create unpleasant odors. Apply the same principle to items in your refrigerator and pantry—discard anything nearing its best-by date to prevent odors and potential mold growth, as advised by home inspector Miles.
Store Your Gear
Securing your tools and ladder in the garage might feel sufficient, but when leaving for an extended period, it’s crucial to consider the accessibility of your hardware. Leaving hammers, pliers, or a ladder exposed could potentially enable unauthorized access to your home, posing a security risk. Be mindful of storing these items securely to safeguard your property.
Criminals frequently opt for the path of least resistance,” Helling advises. “Utilizing ladders is a common method to access second-floor homes, where individuals tend to be less vigilant about securing windows. Avoid facilitating a burglar’s task by taking preventative measures!
Prep Your Pool
Maximizing your pool’s maintenance before travel is crucial, ensuring a refreshing oasis upon your return. Jimmie Meece, America’s Swimming Pool Company’s brand president, advises adhering to your routine upkeep. Begin by setting the pump on a timer for eight hours daily to ensure comprehensive water filtration.
Prioritize shocking the water and adding chlorine tablets, doubling the dosage for prolonged absences beyond a week. Compensate for evaporation by adding water, especially in high temperatures. Just before departure, vacuum the pool, clear floating debris, and cleanse the filters. This meticulous prep guarantees a pristine pool awaiting your immediate enjoyment upon your homecoming!
Make Your Home Look Occupied
Enhancing the security of your home when away is essential. While having someone occupy your space isn’t always feasible, there are clever ways to create the illusion of occupancy. Implementing timers for both indoor and outdoor lights is effective in deterring potential threats by simulating a lived-in environment.
Additional precautions involve having a trusted friend or neighbor park in your driveway and avoiding leaving spare keys in obvious spots like under doormats. Surprisingly, strategically placed “messes,” such as a pile of clothes (not strewn haphazardly), can contribute to the perception of someone being at home, as suggested by Jeremy Scott Foster, CEO of TravelFreak.
Moreover, signs of an empty home like piled-up mail, newspapers, or packages left on the doorstep can invite unwanted attention. It’s wise to arrange for someone to collect your mail and papers or request a hold from the Post Office during your absence. Similarly, ensure package deliveries are held by the respective carriers until your return. These measures collectively bolster the appearance of occupancy and safeguard your property.
Stay Off Social Media
Sharing your travel adventures online can inadvertently signal an open invitation to burglars eyeing unoccupied homes. Burglaries aren’t always opportunistic; criminals often plan ahead by scouting potential targets, utilizing social media to gauge your absence. Avoid disclosing your absence through public posts, as this can reveal your home’s vulnerability. Keep your travel updates private until your return to safeguard your property.”
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Prioritize Your Pets
“Ensure a Safe and Happy Home for Your Pet While You’re Away”
Many pet owners opt to board their furry companions when away, but for shorter trips or with someone checking in, leaving pets at home can be a viable option. However, beyond providing food, water, and a designated area for their needs, considering their potential boredom is crucial.
Nina Clapperton from Traveling With Your Pets emphasizes the importance of setting up a comfortable, secure space for your pet. She learned the hard way after returning to a chaotic living room due to forgetting Theo’s favorite toys and bed. Now, she ensures Theo has a dedicated corner with familiar items to prevent such incidents.
Clapperton also recommends installing childproof locks on cabinets and doors, a measure that prevents pets from accessing potentially harmful items and saves you from cleaning up messes upon your return.
Implementing these expert insights, combined with practical thinking, may require initial effort but offers peace of mind while you’re away and a serene homecoming experience.
