Planning to take a vacation and get away for a little while is an exciting time. Nevertheless, the idea of leaving your home empty for a week or two (or maybe even longer) can naturally leave you a little worried. You must always do certain things when planning to leave your home unattended for home security and peace of mind.
Below are 9 home hacks for you if you’re planning to take a vacation and want to rest easy knowing your home is cared for.
- Avoid Posting on Social Media
A common feature of any vacation these days is holiday snaps uploaded to social media. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to share your trip, but you might want to wait until you return. If you post publicly about being on vacation, especially for a long period, this only alerts people to the fact that your home will be empty.
If you do want to post, think about making posts and profiles private.
- Let Your Neighbors Know
If you have a good relationship with your neighbors, it’s always a good idea to let them know you’re taking a trip. That way, they can keep an eye on your property for you (and they also won’t worry if they don’t see you for a while!)
- Double Check Your Locks
You may not fully lock everything when you’re normally at home, such as keeping windows closed but unlocked or maybe using a Yale lock that pulls to instead of using a second lock on your door. However, before taking a trip, make sure to lock all windows and double lock your door if you can.
- Please Don’t Leave It Looking Too Empty
If you can, give the illusion of someone being at home, even if you’re not. Lights on timers can be great for this or thinking about leaving curtains or blinds open instead of permanently closed for a week or two.
- Clean Your Home Before You Leave
It’s always ideal for returning to clean and tidy home once you get back from your vacation. Not only is this good for your own relaxation, but it’s also important for your home’s integrity. Leaving dirt, dust, or even food waste in an unemptied bin may cause other problems while you’re away, such as attracting pests.
Therefore, be sure to give your home a complete clean before you jet off. You could even encourage self-cleaning while you’re away, such as scheduling a Roomba to keep on top of vacuuming while you’re on vacation. ParentingPod.com has a great guide for the right Roomba purchase.
- Ask Someone to Check In
If you have a friend or family member who lives locally, you may even want to speak to them about dropping in every now and again to check everything is okay. You can give them a key, or maybe even ask them to drive by to double-check everything looks okay.
If you can’t do this, you may even want to hire professional house-sitting services if you’d rather someone always be at your property.
- Set an Alarm
Home alarms are essential security whether you’re on vacation or not, but they’re ideal for extra security while you’re taking a trip. Lock your home down with a security alarm system you can trust — and even better, if you can have a smart alarm system that you can control from your phone, anywhere in the world. If you can tap into a video feed or video doorbell while on vacation, this can greatly help your peace of mind and home security.
- Don’t Let the Exterior Fall to Neglect
This can depend on how long you’re traveling for, but if you have a lawn, plants, or flowers outside your home, letting this become overgrown or neglected can be a clear signpost that nobody is home.
You may want to think about paying for gardening services and maintenance while you’re away so that your property can be looked after. The same could apply to other features, such as gutter maintenance or window cleaning.
- Make Plans for Your Vehicle
If you’re not planning on taking your vehicle away with you, then you’ll need to think about how it stays protected, too. Not only that but how you park your vehicle can help protect your home, too. If you have your car in your driveway for a short trip, it can make it appear that someone is home instead of a driveway that is empty for a week.
Alternatively, if you have a garage, this can be ideal for securing your vehicle and making sure your garage is securely locked, too.
