Protecting Your Home While You Are Away

Protecting Your Home When You Are Away

Taking just a few precautions to safely secure your home before you leave for a trip can make it easy to relax while you are away. Here are some easy tips to consider. 

Set The HVAC | While you are away in the summer, consider setting your thermostat a few degrees warmer than usual. This will allow you to save a little money on electricity while maintaining your home’s humidity levels. Conversely in the colder months, set it slightly cooler than your normal, but not below 55° F. You may consider investing in a smart thermostat for your heating and cooling system for customizable settings while you are away. 

Protect Your Pipes | Pipe insulation costs about 50 cents per linear foot and can be great insurance against frozen pipes. Consumer Reports notes additional tips to keep your pipes from freezing in the winter. Some folks turn their water off if on an extended vacation. 

Light It Up Outside | Modern motion-sensor exterior lights are customizable, affordable, and DIY-friendly! Exterior lighting at night is sometimes all it takes to deter intruders, but security lighting systems can offer an added level of protection and peace of mind, The Kuna security light system has a built-in camera, a motion detector, a Wi-Fi adapter, and a two-way intercom that integrates with your smartphone. 

Send Your Water Heater On Vacation Too | Many water heaters have a vacation or VAC mode that automatically drops the water heater’s temperature to conserve energy while maintaining water flow. If your’s does not include this feature, you can set the heater to its lowest setting while you are away. Consider this feature the next time you are in the market for a water heater.

Invest In A Security System | A small financial investment is worth peace of mind while you are home and away. U.S. News & World Report rates the best systems including Vivint, SimpliSafe, and ADT. Do some research to match the system with your specific needs and budget. If you have a system in place, be sure to check for low batteries. 

Put Your Electronics On Timers | Outlet timers are an easy way to allow you to set on and off times for your lights, radios, and TVs to appear as if you are home. There are many options to suit your customization needs.

Safeguard Against The Surge | If you are gone during the summer thunderstorm season, it is a good idea to invest in surge protectors. Also consider disconnecting any non-essential electronics like your computer, toaster, and microwave. 

Clear Those Gutters | Be sure to clean and repair your gutters, drains, and downspouts before leaving on an extended vacation. Poor drainage can cause water damage, especially when you are not around to respond to it. 

Less Is More For Social Media | A big safety tip is to try to keep your travel plans to yourself. Avoid posting photos of your home, as they can be geolocated through a reverse image search. Avoid posting in real time. You can share your photographs upon your return. And, you can consider tightening up your privacy settings on your social media accounts. 

Don’t Be Afraid To Ask For Help | Consider providing a friend or neighbor with a house key so they can stop by periodically to make sure nothing is amiss. A neighbor can easily retrieve your mail and make sure your home does not scream “we’re away!”.

By planning ahead and taking a few easy safeguards, you can fully relax while you are on vacation. Enjoy your time away, knowing everything will be how you left it upon your return. Happy travels.

Post a Comment

From Our Blog

Posts By Category

All Categories Business Directory (2) Buying a Home (18) Chesapeake Real Estate (1) Equestrian (1) Events (35) Finance (2) Giving Back (21) Hampton Roads News (106) Historic Properties (1) Homeowner Tips (115) Living (59) Local Spotlight (1) Main (98) Mortgage Updates (13) Moving Guides (1) New Construction (8) Real Estate Group News (7) Recipes (1) Selling a Home (4) TREG Homes (2) TREG New Construction (36) TREG Property Management (59) Video (2)

Posts By Month

Grab Our RSS Feed

Search Our Agent Directory

Setting the standard for excellence in the Hampton Roads real estate community.

New Home Communities

Hampton Roads Complete New Construction Resource.

Visit TREGNewHomes.com

Luxury Homes & Lifestyles

Oceanfront & Bayfront. Country Clubs. Equestrian / Horse Farms. Luxury Condos. See them all.

Visit TREGLuxuryHomes.com
Property Management

Find out why so many landlords and seasoned investors think TREG is the RIGHT CHOICE for property management.

FIND OUT MORE

The Real Estate Group Customer Reviews

The Real Estate Group Reviews
"In over 5,100 reviews, The Real Estate Group scored 5 Stars out of 5 for performance and 4.9 out of 5 stars for overall satisfaction."

RealSatisfied.com Reviews
TREG Virginia Beach Office Reviews
TREG Chesapeake Office Reviews