Thursday, October 28, 2010

Securing your House when you Travel

While you travel, be it for business or pleasure you don't want to have worries about your house/apt. or condo while you're away. Take a few precautions to safe guard your home. Naturally everyone thinks to close the windows, and lock the doors; but there's more to be done. Always let one or two people in family and in your neighborhood know when and where you're traveling so they can keep an eye on the house.

Always stop the mail and the newspapers. Door hangers are more difficult to stop, so do have a neighbor check the house. Nothing sends more of a signal you're not home then to have a pile of mail, newspapers, and or door hangers advertising that fact by being piled up in your absence. You can stop you mail easily by doing it on line.

Have several automatic lights set to go off and on while you're away in various parts of the house. Set those times to match your normal routine. If you typically go to bed around 11, leaving lights on in the middle of the night is a sure signal to anyone that might wish to enter that you're not home. Leave your window blinds up so your neighbors can see if something is wrong inside the house.

Make sure at least one neighbor has keys to your house should they're be any problems.

Turn off the water. It's not uncommon for a leak to happen in hoses' and you don't want to come home to a flood. Or due to cold temperatures have a pipe burst.

Turn your automatic garage door opener off. You don't want people to play with your combination and or another opening and be able to work yours. Turning the electric to it completely off is double security.

Don't take out your trash can, as it will sit there the whole time your gone....another big flag you're not home.

If it's winter, make arrangements for someone to shovel your drive and walk if it snows; and or to drive their car in and out of your drive leaving tracks....it looks like you've been there then. Likewise with tracks on the walk.

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3 comments:

  1. Just found your blog through Entrecard (still browsing, not sure I'll join). But just wanted you to know that I'm following you and adding a link to your excellent article on securing your house while on vacation. Great tips. Feel free to check me out at 500 Places With Kids.

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  2. The last two times I traveled the post office did not stop my mail despite the request. Make sure you have a backup plan!!!
    Luckily my in-laws were around and they took it inside for us.

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  3. Travel Queen nice to have you visit, I'll pop over to your blog as well.

    Tracy, good point on a back up plan. I tried to revisit you, as I always visit and return each and every comment. Your link doesn't seem to go to a blog, just to a twitter page. A bit unsure if this is your attempt at spam or if there's a problem.

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