One of the true joys of summertime is taking a trip with family or friends to enjoy the longer days and warm weather. However, before getting caught up in the excitement over leaving, it’s important to remember that preparing a house for vacation is a necessary precaution before jumping in the car or boarding the plane.
The unfortunate truth is that homes are at risk of damage from natural disasters, such as lightning and flooding, as well as man-made hazards, such as vandalism and burglary while you’re away.
The good news is that knowing how to prepare your house for vacation beforehand gives you the upper hand, even if disaster strikes. Let’s look at a few important things to do before leaving for vacation that will help safeguard your home.
Preparing Your House for Vacation to Minimize the Impact of Natural Disasters
Although it’s impossible to control the weather, it’s possible to take precautions inside the home before leaving to minimize potential damage from extreme weather, such as extremely high or low temperatures, flooding, or lightning.
These steps include:
- Unplugging small appliances and electronic devices to prevent damage from power surges.
- Turning off the main water supply — especially if the trip spans a long period in the winter, to prevent pipe and water damage from extreme cold temperatures or other unexpected disasters.
- Raising the temperature on the thermostat — or turning the system off completely, to ensure electric bills aren’t sky-high for cooling the home when no one is there, saving on energy costs and reducing the risk of system failure or an electrical fire.
It’s also a good idea to have a neighbor, friend, or someone else that you trust keep an eye on the home throughout the trip, especially if extreme weather occurs.
For example, they can watch for damage from fallen trees, open doors, broken windows, or other issues and report problems right away.
Preparing Your House for Vacation to Reduce the Risk of Theft
Another common fear when going on vacation is that thieves will see this as an opportunity to break in and take items from the home.
One way to reduce the risk of burglary is to take conscious steps to make the home appear occupied — even when it isn’t. Things to do before vacation to accomplish this include:
- Stopping newspaper and mail delivery, this prevents it from piling up on the porch or delivery boxes.
- Locking all windows and doors.
- Arranging to have the lawn maintained or snow removed.
- Removing any house keys kept outside the home — even those believed to be in a safe place.
- Setting timers to turn on inside lights at night.
- Installing a motion-activated sensor on outdoor floodlights.
It’s also possible to digitally protect your home by avoiding posting photos of your trip on social media until after you’ve returned home.
Additionally, a neighbor who watches out for weather damage to a home could take steps to deter unwanted activity — while remaining safe, of course.
They can walk around the property periodically or park a vehicle in the driveway for a while, these signs of activity on the property are important for preventing theft when no one is home.
Protect Your Home Year-Round with HRCCU Insurance
Preparing your house for vacation can make all the difference when it comes to preventing damage to the home and protecting your finances. However, accidents can still occur, and it’s important to ensure you have adequate insurance coverage.
At HRCCU Insurance Agency, we offer both homeowners’ and rental insurance packages that can help protect your property while you’re away. We can even bundle your policy with auto or business insurance to save money.
Contact us today to learn more about how we can help protect your property and finances.
