The following 7 tips for keeping your home safe while traveling are sponsored by UHS Window Tinting.
My favorite season of the year is Christmas season. I love everything about it! This year, I’m super excited to be spending part of it in Kissimmee, Florida with some relatives. I’m counting down the days for our trip and making plans for what to pack and what to do and see when I get there. One plan I almost overlooked was how to secure my home while I’m away. You get so excited about where you’re going, you forget about what you’re leaving behind. Here are a few tips I’m implementing to keep my home safe and secure while I’m away.
Ask a neighbor for help: to collect your mail, be on the lookout for any cars in your driveway, mow your lawn, and/or take out the trash.
It’s the Christmas season, so chances are you’ll be receiving your regular mail (bills and fliers), plus holiday cards, and even holiday packages. Your mailbox may overflow, depending on how many days you’re gone and how much mail you’ll receive. Additionally, if you have any boxes left on your porch, not only are they exposed to the weather (which may include rain and snow), or at risk for theft, they are a clear indicator that you’re not at home. You can put a hold on your mail at the local post office, but you may get an unexpected UPS, FedEx, and/or Amazon Package, so in addition to putting a hold on your mail, you should ask a neighbor to keep an eye out as well.
Get a Ring Home Security Kit or something similar.
You can keep track of and communicate with whoever’s coming to your front door, right from your phone, even when you’re out of state. Got a delivery package, you can ask them to deliver it to your neighbor. Got a solicitor, you can say no thank you. Got a stranger approaching, you can inquire what they want. They won’t even know you’re not home. And if something should happen, you’ll have recorded evidence of it to give to the proper authorities.
Add Window Films and Tints
A cost-effective way to ensure you have privacy and security for your entire home is to add affordable window tints or blinds. UHS Window Tinting and Blinds is a locally owned and operated company in Metro Atlanta with 30+ years experience in residential and commercial Window Tinting and Window Treatment services. They handle all jobs, big or small, so the size of your home or the number of windows you have doesn’t matter. They even offer free estimates! With window tints and blinds, people won’t be able to see inside your home. They won’t be able to see that you’re not home, and they won’t be able to see what you have inside your home.
Mow your Lawn or Shovel your Driveway before you leave
Nothing says “no one is living here” like an overgrown and weed-infested lawn. Not to mention, depending on where you live, you can get a ticket or infraction from an HOA or the city. If you mow your lawn or shovel any snow off your driveway before you leave, no one will be the wiser that you’re not home. You can also pay someone you trust to do this for you while you’re away.
Check that all the windows and doors are closed and locked
Now, this sounds like a no-brainer, but it happens and it happened to us. We came back from spending a few days with relatives during Thanksgiving to realize one door was unlocked. Besides the front door, you’ll want to make sure any basement, backyard, deck, kitchen, and garage doors are locked as well. And you’ll want to check all the windows, in all the rooms.
Hire a House Sitter
This isn’t something I would do for a couple of days, but some relatives of ours will be traveling for 6months, and they’ve hired a house sitter to keep their house safe and secure while they’re away. The house sitter will make sure the lawn is mowed, any plants are watered, and any pets are fed. They will also be there in case of any emergencies, like if the roof leaks during a storm, or there’s flooding in the basement from too much rain.
Curb the Social Media
We all love to share where we are and what we’re doing in real time but that also means, people will know you’re not home and for how long. It’s ok to post about your adventures a day later or when you’re back home. You’d rather be safe than sorry.
Do you do anything not listed above to secure your home while traveling? Share below.
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