By Lorie Lewis Ham
It’s finally summer and you can’t wait to head off on that vacation you have been planning all winter, but you are a little worried about leaving your home alone for too long. What if someone tries to break in, or the power goes out and you lose all the food in your fridge? With the cost of food these days you can’t afford that loss! Or what if someone decides to vandalize your home while it’s empty?
Thankfully, there are a number of things you can do to make sure your home is safe while you are gone—some are pricey, some cost just a little, and some are free! One thing you can do is to make your home look like someone is still there. In a 2022 article on Forbes.com, they share several inexpensive to free ideas including setting your lights on a timer, leaving one of your cars in the driveway, and having a friend check up on your home (be sure to give them a key as leaving it in a hiding space could end up with it being found by a thief). One tip I found particularly interesting was having a decoy security system. “By putting up decoy security signs, stickers, and even imitation cameras in plain sight, you’re increasing your chances of deterring trespassers from trying to enter your home or approach your property,” stated the article.
Having a friend or family member check on your home is one of the easiest things you can do, and if they are a good enough friend, they may be happy to do it for free. They can take in your mail, take in your newspaper if you still get a paper one, open and close curtains at different times, check to make sure your electricity is still on, and even keep your lawn tidy if you are going to be gone for some time.
Something else you can do is have your utility company text you when there is an outage. You may be too far away to do anything about it if that happens, but if it’s for too long you can give that friend a call and they can go in and save your food.
An article in Popular Mechanics also recommends that you turn your water off while you are gone for an extended period of time to avoid any damaging accidents that could potentially happen. While this is especially important during the winter if you live in an area where it freezes, it can be a wise decision any time of the year. According to the article, shutting off your water is a very easy thing to do. They also recommend lowering the temperature on your water heater or setting it to vacation mode. One thing they say not to turn off is the AC as extreme heat can cause damage as well. If you have a smart thermometer, it is easy to set it to a higher temperature like 85 while you are gone and set it to go down to a lower temperature the day you are coming back. Or you can ask that friend of yours to turn it down for you when they make that one last stop at your house before you come home. Other recommendations include using a soaker hose for your flowers, putting a hold on your mail if you don’t have that friend, and putting antifreeze in your toilets (again only if you are traveling in the winter and live in an area that freezes).
Reolink recommends not making it public that you are going on vacation—this can be especially important on social media. You can share all your photos when you get back! They also recommend checking all doors and windows to make sure they are locked before you leave, unplugging any unused appliances (which also saves electricity), and if you do have an actual security system let them know you will be gone. If you are looking to have a security system installed before you leave home Consumer Advocate has a list you can check out!
Just in case something still happens while you are gone despite all of your efforts, it is a good idea to check with your insurance agent before you leave about your coverage for any situation that might come up. Mennonite Insurance Services is happy to chat with you (559) 638-2327. You will enjoy your vacation all the more with the peace of mind all of these precautions can bring.
