5 Things To Consider If You Need To Be Away From Home For A Long Period

When you go on vacation, you want to be able to relax. If your mind keeps wandering back to your home and you wonder whether or not everything is ok, then it is very difficult to do so.

To be able to properly get away from it all, you need to have a clear mind. The best way to do this is to make sure all loose ends are tied up before you go. Not only for peace of mind, but to make sure you don’t have any nasty surprises when you come home.

From making sure you have a home security system to having your pets taken care of, when you have everything taken care of you can have a much better trip.

In this article, I will go over several of the things you need to do to prepare for a trip, especially if it is going to be a long one.

1 – Set up a doorbell camera

If you are away from home for a while, then you will want to be checking in once in a while to make sure that everything is ok. The best way to do this is with a doorbell camera.

Doorbell cameras are popular because they have gotten much smarter. You won’t miss anything because you can get an alert when there is activity happening in front of your door.

You may not be getting deliveries while you are away, but they are a great deterrent for those porch pirates.

2 – Take care of your pipes

This is a must if you are snowbirds. Taking off in the winter means you have to be extra careful about preparing your home for an extended period.

Frozen pipes burst and then can flood your home when the thaw happens. Make sure to not only shut off your water and drain your pipes before you leave. If you don’t drain your pipes then make sure to keep your heat on at a minimum to keep things warm enough that they won’t freeze.

You might need a professional to do this as draining pipes are not as easy as it sounds.

3 – Have a hold on your mail

Mail and newspapers piling up is like advertising to would-be thieves that your house is ready to be robbed.

Go to the post office and have your mail delivery held for the time period that you plan to be away. The same goes for your newspaper delivery if you have it done.

If you forget to do this, have a trusted neighbor go by and collect it. This is still not ideal as people can forget.

4 – Unplug everything you aren’t using

Emptying the fridge is great, but it should also be unplugged. The same goes for any electrical devices as they trickle electricity even when they are turned off. This can give you a much bigger electricity bill then you may be expecting. Not to mention that it is also wasteful.

The other issue is that a lightning storm can cause a surge which may burn out your devices. To keep your security systems working, you need to keep your electricity on, so turning it off isn’t an option for most people.

5 – Keep your plans off of social media

The people who need to know you are going away already know that you are gone. Posting to social media when you are away is advertising to others that your house is empty.

You may not realize who is reading your posts and some of them may take advantage.