When making your plans for your vacation getaway, do not forget to include your home in these plans. There are things you are going to want to make sure get taken care of as well as things you want to make sure never happen!
- Ask a family member or friend to look after your house, or even a neighbor you trust. They can stop by your house to feed and walk your pet, bring in the newspaper and mail, and water your plants. Double score if you can get a relative or friend to live in your house for that time frame. If not, there are services that will come and care for your house when you are away.
- You can even call the post office and ask them to hold your mail for the days you are away. This is a free feature thanks to the services of the United States Postal services! You can even talk to the person who delivers your newspaper to not deliver that week because you will be away. No one likes newspaper just piling up on their front porch, and you can save a money and not waste those papers. And stopping those two services makes it less obvious that you are not home.
- Make sure all entrances into your home are locked! This seems like an obvious thing, but you will be surprised how many places you did not think of checking, and double checking: doors, windows on all floors, pet doors, screens, sliding door. Even consider taking A.C units out of the windows for when you are not home. Another great tip is put a timer on your lights to turn on and off during the evening to keep the illusion that someone is still home and the house is not empty. This all may sound paranoid, but rather safe than sorry.
- Unplug all electronics! Pull the plug on electronics like your desktop, coffee pot, television, computer, radios, and irons will not only save you money, but keep you reassured that they were turned off. Do the same with your central air. Do not turn it completely off, but at least run it where it is barely keeping your house cool. You can set it to kick fully back on right before you return home.
- DO NOT GLOTE VIA INTERNET THAT YOU WILL BE AWAY. Even if you think you are set to private and only your friends are reading it, you can be 100% wrong. Limit the odds of having a burglar know you are not going to be home. Post the pictures and updates after you return to your untouched and safe home.
Have a great vacation!
For more tips on vactioning, check our TrendingSINY.com's Top Ten Summer Vacation Packing Tips and the Tech Corner’s Summer Vacation Apps!