How to Protect your Home while on Vacation

The thought of going on vacation shouldn’t leave you reluctant to get away and enjoy some well deserved time off just because you are nervous about leaving your beloved home. Protecting your home while on vacation should be a simple but important task that is automatically part of planning your trip. Whether you will be sitting on a beach enjoying the sun at a resort in the Caribbean or if you are traveling around Europe, you shouldn’t be worried that your home has been left unprotected. Here are 5 tips that you can follow to make your vacation as stress free as possible when it comes to protecting your home.

Invest in Home Security

At the top of the list is investing in home security. Whether that is having a professionally monitored alarm security system or an off the shelf solution from Google’s Nest or Apple’s HomeKit, there are affordable options available to choose from. With a number of customizable solutions, you will be able to monitor your home from anywhere in the world. Most products can be configured so that you can be notified when someone enters a specific location on your property, such as a backyard or garage.

Smart Lighting add-on to Home Security

A great addition to your home security system is investing in smart lighting for indoors as well as the exterior of your home. With home automation routines, your lights can be configured to turn on and off at specific times, making it appear that someone is home. The added bonus to home automation and security is that it will protect your home even when you are not on vacation but just out later in the evening. 

Pause Mail Delivery while on Vacation

A detail that is often overlooked but vitally important is that if you are planning to go away for more than a week, you should make the smart choice of pausing your mail delivery. One thing that thieves do is look for mailboxes that haven’t been recently emptied. A bunch of mail piled up is a clear give-away that nobody is home. You can also ask a trusted neighbor to bring the mail into their house for you until you get back, if you prefer.

Exterior Home Protection while on Vacation

If you are going away for an extended period of time, hire a landscaping company or have someone you know and trust keep your lawn mowed. You don’t want your home looking like it is empty or abandoned. Also, have a trusted friend or family member stop by while you are away to check on your home to make sure nothing is out of the ordinary. Ask them to look at doors and windows to make sure they remain closed and intact. If you know what lights you have left on or left automated, ask them to make sure these are still the same.

Be mindful of your Online activities while on Vacation

Social media has become a huge part of all of our lives, but sharing your vacation with the world might not be the safest thing to do. Posting a photo of you in Mexico opens the door for thieves to break into your home. If you have to post photos while you are away to keep in touch with your family and friends, make those posts private or shared only to your close friends feed, so only people you trust can see them. Once you are safely back home, share away.

Taking the time to plan and prepare for when you are away from home is essential to protecting your home. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.

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