When you go on vacation, the last thing you want to do is worry while you’re away or come home to damage. While it’s impossible to prevent some unforeseen issues, there are some easy steps you can take to prepare for peace of mind to go with your vacation relaxation.
Set your thermostat closer to the temperature outside, while still protecting your pets, plants, and furniture. There’s no sense in cooling your home if no one is there!
- Unplug small appliances and electronics in case of a power surge while you are away.
- Set your water heater to “vacation” mode. Vacation mode drops your water heater’s temperature to conserve energy. If you don’t have a vacation mode on your heater, you can also manually turn it down to the lowest your thermostat will allow.
- Turn off water valves to items such as sinks, the dishwasher, and washing machine
Other simple things you can do include stopping your mail delivery or having someone pick your mail up while you’re away, have a neighbor park in your driveway, and leave at least one light on or on a timer so it looks like there’s activity at the home.
As much as you love to share vacation photos, don’t share them on social media until you have returned from your trip. There is nothing worse than announcing publicly that you are away from the home! Unscrupulous people are trolling social media for exactly that information as targets for a robbery.
Taking a few simple steps can help you keep the “joy” in enjoying your vacation!
