8 Ways to Keep Your Home Safe While You’re on Vacation

A vacation offers a cherished opportunity to get away from it all. You don’t want to undo all that relaxation by coming home to discover a break-in, broken pipe or worse. Here are some simple yet important steps you can take to protect your home.

Install a security system. Homes without a professionally monitored security system are much more likely to be burglarized. Since most break-ins involve force, a home security system can be a useful deterrent, alerting authorities when a trigger is set off.
Turn off the water. During the summer, turn off the main shut-off valve if no one will be home. This keeps toilets from overflowing, pipes from leaking and outside spigots from being used and left running. During the winter, shut off the water or drain the pipes so they don’t freeze.
Hold the mail. It’s a small thing, but an important tipoff to would-be burglars. Stop your mail and newspaper. Or have a friend or trusted neighbor pick it up for you.
Give the illusion someone is home. Consider installing a motion-sensing light outside of your home. In addition to putting interior lamps on timers, you can also put one on your TV to create the typical flickering lights of a family at home. If you are away for over a week, arrange to have your lawn mowed. During winter, have the snow removed and ask a friend to drop by every three days to check in on the house. Avoid posting on social media that you will be away from home.
Adjust the thermostat. You will save you some money on utilities, but don’t set it too low in the winter. An ideal setting is 15 degrees C for most homes. This is warm enough to prevent freezing or damaging the building.
Unplug high-value electronics. Even if your high-end electronics are plugged into a surge protector, it’s still wise to unplug them in case a severe storm hits. Widescreen TVs, computers, sound systems, and small appliances like toasters and coffee makers can still be damaged if a bolt of lightning strikes nearby or there is a power surge.
Disconnect your garage door. Tech-savvy thieves have been known to hack into garage door opener codes. Some openers (depending on the brand) can even be opened with a universal remote.
Pick up that hidden key. Criminals will always look for that hidden key, and they will find it! Give your spare key to a family member, friend or trusted neighbor.

With a few thoughtful steps, you can spend more time enjoying that hard-earned vacation and less time worrying.

This content is for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing, financial, medical or legal advice. You should contact your attorney, doctor, broker or advisor to obtain advice with respect to any particular issue or problem.