Protection
Create the illusion that someone is home
Leaving your home vacant while you’re away leaves it vulnerable to burglary. You don’t have to turn to any Home Alone-style tactics to keep burglars out. Instead, create the illusion that someone is home.
“When your home is occupied, it’s a less appealing target for burglars,” Nagy says.
Putting your lights on timers can help. This way, your lights turning on and off at varied times implies someone is home. Installing a motion-activated light outside can also help, as it will respond to any movement, deterring home invaders and alerting your neighbors to any uninvited guests.
If you have your home lighting system connected to your Alexa, utilizing the routine feature makes this easy.
Speaking of neighbors, ask a friend or housesitter to monitor your home and bring in the mail. (If you don’t have someone to stop by, schedule the USPS to stop your mail while you’re away.) This adds visible activity to your house. Even better, have a neighbor temporarily park at your home so there’s someone coming and going every day.
In case of a major weather event or neighborhood power outage, you should show the person sitting for you where the circuit breaker and water valves are.
If you’re traveling for a more extended period, you shouldn’t pause lawn mowing (depending on the season in which you’re traveling) or plowing or shoveling in the event of a snowstorm. Not only will it save you time and headache when you return back from your trip, but it shows maintenance and monitoring happening at your home.
Get the Indoor 24-hour Mechanical Outlet Timer at Amazon for $11.99
Get the HMCITY Motion Activated Solar Lights at Amazon for $21.99
Unplug any unnecessary devices
Since you’re splurging on a vacation, you’ll want to do what you can to keep your utility bills low while you’re away.
Any appliances left plugged in – even if they aren’t in use – will use power and run up your electricity bill.
You’ll want to keep large appliances like your refrigerator plugged in to preserve your perishable items. However countertop appliances like microwaves, air fryers, electric kettles, and toasters can be unplugged.
If you’re leaving some smartphone or tablet chargers behind, take the time to unplug them. Better yet, getting a power strip to plug your devices into can save you some time since you can turn them off with the press of a button.
Get the Belkin Power Strip and Surge Protector from Amazon for $21.99
Protect your plumbing
If you haven’t gotten familiar with your water heater, head downstairs and take a look at the settings it offers.
Most water heaters have an ‘away’ or ‘vacation’ mode. Turning this setting will keep your energy bill low while you’re away.
If you live in a cold climate and are traveling during the winter, you’ll want to protect against frozen pipes. Leaving your faucets turned on to a tiny stream of cold water won’t run up your water bill, but it will save your pipes from freezing.
You also want to prevent an accidental flood while you’re gone, which is why using a smart water leak detector is a smart move. This way, you may even be able to shut off your water from an app.
Get the Moen 920-004 Flo Smart Water Leak Detector
Regulate your home’s temperatures, lower or higher depending on the season
You want to keep your house at a temperature safe enough from freezing or overheating, but low enough to keep heating and cooling costs wallet-friendly.
If you have lots of houseplants, 60 degrees is the lowest temperature that most houseplants need to survive. If you have pets that you’re leaving with a pet sitter, 64 degrees is the ideal temperature that will keep your furry friends safe and comfortable.
Upgrading to a smart thermostat allows you to control the temperature from anywhere giving you some peace of mind.
Get the Google Nest Learning Thermostat at Amazon for $228
Make your home’s security system a little bit smarter
“A person can’t monitor a home 24/7, but a [security] system can,” says Nagy. Traditional fire detectors can set off a loud auditory alarm, that does you no good if you’re away from your house.
Smart fire detectors can send you alerts on your smartphone if a problem arises. This way, you’ll be the first to know and can coordinate getting help while still at your vacation destination.
Before heading off on your trip, you may want to consider installing a DIY
security system so you can stay on top of the happenings around your home. With the addition of a smart lock, you can control the locks of your doors through your home security system. This means if you forgot to lock the door, you can do so while at the airport, Nagy says.
By installing a video doorbell, you’ll have video monitoring so you can check in and/or record suspicious activity. Additionally, doorbells like the Google Nest Doorbell, offer two-way audio. If a delivery person comes by with a package, you can use it to communicate and ask them to bring it to a pick-up point so packages don’t pile up.
Get the Google Nest Protect from Amazon for $117.62
Get the Ring Alarm Pro from Amazon for $249.99
Get the Google Nest Doorbell at Best Buy for $179.99
Get the Schlage Encode Smart Wifi Deadbolt at Amazon for $334.99
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Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.