When you and your family are preparing to leave for a vacation, it’s easy to overlook basic home safety precautions. After all, there are a number of risks that could affect your home while you’re away—including fires, theft and flooding.
In order to keep your property safe while you’re on vacation, consider the following guidance.
Home Safety Tips to Prepare For Vacation
- Unplug small appliances and electronic devices.
- Consider turning off your home’s water.
- Put a hold on your mail or have a neighbor pick it up for you when you go on vacation. An overflowing mailbox or buildup of packages at your door could make it clear to potential thieves that you aren’t home.
- Lock all windows and doors.
- Consider asking a neighbor to park their car in your driveway or conduct home maintenance tasks for you while you are away (e.g., cutting grass) to give the appearance that someone is home.
- Have a neighbor keep an eye on your home throughout your trip.
- Remove any house keys you keep outside your home, even if you think they’re in a safe place. Consider leaving it with a trusted neighbor or in a key lockbox.
- Place automatic timers on your lights, and set them for different times for different rooms. This will make it more difficult for potential thieves to determine when you are away.
- Install a motion-activated sensor on outdoor floodlights.
- Consider installing home security cameras on your property. Many affordable home security cameras can connect to your smartphone through an app, making it easy to monitor your property from any location.
- Avoid posting photos of your trip on social media until after you return home. This can provide potential thieves with a timeline of when your home will be empty.
Use These Tips When Planning Your Next Vacation
Taking the proper home safety precautions before you go on vacation can make all the difference when it comes to preventing damage to your home. However, accidents can still occur. That being said, it’s important to secure adequate insurance coverage to ensure that you will be adequately protected in the event that a loss occurs. Be sure to consult your insurance professional to confirm that your homeowners insurance policy meets your personalized needs. For additional personal risk management guidance and homeowners insurance solutions, contact us today.
