During the global lockdowns, travel restrictions had brought much heartache to a lot of people. Many had been looking forward to those vacations for a year. Others just wanted to get out for a while after the stressful time the COVID-19 pandemic caused.
Now that restrictions have been slightly lifted, at least at the national level, it’s understandable that you’d be so excited, you’d want to jump at the first opportunity to go. And you will be so preoccupied checking your luggage and looking at your list of ‘what to bring’ that you’d probably forget one important thing: is your house safe and secure enough today to leave behind for a long vacation?
Preparing Your Home for Your Vacation
Leaving your home for a long vacation after so many months means your property will be unwatched for the first time since the lockdown. You’ve been so used to being at home that you probably haven’t given much thought to aspects of your home that would be important when you’re away. One of them is security. Without an updated security system at home, your property will be most vulnerable. Utilities are another thing to think about.
You wouldn’t want to keep on worrying about your house while you’re on vacation, right? Here are a few suggestions on preparing your house before going away.
Shut down the supply sources.
Shut down the main supply of power and water before you leave. One of the biggest threats in leaving a house for long is the risk of fire or water damage, should an accident occur. A slightly lesser concern — but still a threat to an ordinary citizen — is the risk of incurring high utility bills when you’re not at home.
If your home catches fire or gets flooded because you missed an important step before leaving, you cannot ask for compensation from anyone. If you continue to record high power usage even though you’re miles away, it would be hard to contest that if your power supply remains on. Do these things before you go:
- To prevent unnecessary spending on electricity usage, you need to make sure you have unplugged all electronic devices and appliances. Even though you’re not using your TV, refrigerator, washing machine, dishwasher, and printer, the power supply for these devices will continue running if they remain plugged. Unplugging the devices will also lower the risk of an electrical fire.
- Set your thermostat to ‘away’ mode.’ This will prevent any triggers that could increase your electricity bills.
- Turn off your main water supply, especially when you are having a winter vacation. This will prevent possible water leaks while you’re away, which could lead to flooding and house damage, as well as damage to floors, furniture, and fixtures. It will also prevent burst pipes from water freezing during winter. You won’t have to deal with the stress of putting your house in order when you return from a wonderful vacation.
- Set your water heater on vacation mode to avoid triggers, just in case. However, since you’ve shut down the main water supply, this should be a rare occurrence.
Make sure there’s no way to enter.
Check every possible entry to your house before you go. An empty house is a perfect target for a burglar or intruder to break in. Make sure you have closed the doors and windows properly. In some cases, the burglar can smash a door or window in the middle of the night without anyone noticing, though.
It would be best to install a security door before you go on vacation. If you can also have window sensors and intruder alarms set up in all possible entries, that would be ideal. It will protect your house and alert you of possible break-ins or attempted trespassing.
Let your neighbors know that you are away to make sure that they will report to you or the authorities any suspicious activity or persons lurking around your house.
Make your home smart.
If you have enough budget to upgrade your house, have smart gadgets installed. Upgrade your house into a smart home. The gadgets will help you control your house even when you’re away. You can turn the lights on using the timer. You don’t have to worry that your home will be in complete darkness while you are away, which will tell potential burglars that the house is empty.
To prevent paying excessive bills, the timer will turn the lights off when the sun rises or whenever it’s supposed to turn off on any regular day.
You can also control the ‘away mode’ of your thermostat. When you are leaving, turn on the away mode. And when you are on your way back, turn it off. This is so you will come home to the perfect temperature.
Set a home security system that will alert you if something suspicious happens at home. An excellent smart home will cut off all the electricity supplies if there is an electrical fire. It can save your house from burning down. It will also automatically alert the security system company and local authorities of the event. So, even if you’re away, people are looking out for your home.
Leaving for a vacation should be relaxing instead of worrying. Following these steps to ensure that your home is safe and secure during your vacation will increase your enjoyment, not your stress. By setting up security alarms, turning off power and water supplies, or upgrading your home with smart devices, you can promise yourself a more enjoyable vacation.
Relax, recharge, and enjoy your vacation!
