With winter approaching, it’s natural to want to escape to somewhere sunny and top up your tan. While you should enjoy your vacation and ideally leave the responsibilities of daily life behind, you need to take steps to protect your life at home while you’re gone.
There’s a lot to plan when you’re away, especially if you’re traveling for months at a time. Follow these five tips, and you can enjoy your trip knowing your home will remain safe and secure.
Take on a Tenant
If you’re planning to be out of the area for a few months, you may want to consider renting your home out to a tenant for the duration of your travel. That way, there will be someone living in your property who will take care of cleaning and maintenance, and you’ll be notified of any problems immediately. Plus, you will be making money while you’re away. Having someone coming and going is also useful for security purposes, as there is less likely to be a break-in if it’s obvious someone is keeping watch.
Cut Multiple Spare Keys
Whether or not you decide to rent your home out, you need to make sure there is someone who can access your property in the event of an emergency, especially if you’re going abroad. Give a set to a trusted neighbor and let them know how to contact you. If you don’t want to come home to a house full of dead plants, you also need to ask someone to pop in regularly and water your greenery.
Turn Off Your Appliances
Always check and double check that you’ve turned off the electrical appliances in your home when you go on vacation, especially curling irons and straighteners. Make sure your cooker is switched off at the mains, clear out the fridge and take out the trash. The last thing you want to come home to is a house full of vermin enjoying your old food.
Find a Trusted Plumber
If there’s a plumbing emergency in your home while you’re away, you don’t want to waste time looking for a reliable contractor to come and fix it. Get acquainted with a local plumber before you jet off so there’s someone you can call in the area in case of a problem.
If you have a smartphone with location services enabled, you can simplify your search by typing find a plumber near me now into your internet search engine. Make sure you choose a professional contractor who comes with an insurance-backed guarantee, and always check his or her credentials. It’s a good idea to search out some local electricians and handymen, too, and leave their details close to hand for whoever is taking care of your property.
Switch off the Water Supply
If you plan to leave your property unattended for a long period of time, it’s vital to turn off the main water supply to prevent a pipe from bursting while you’re away. A burst pipe could flood your entire home with water and be devastating to your furnishings and possessions, so switching off your water is not something you want to forget.
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