7 Tips to Keep Your Home Safe While You're on Christmas Vacation

12/16/2019 (Permalink)

Are you planning to visit out of town family this holiday season? While traffic routes or navigating the new Louis Armstrong airport may be top of mind, you should make sure your home will be just the same when you return. Follow our tips listed below to make sure your home stays safe if you're planning on being out of town for more than a couple of days. 

1.  Don't let people know your home is empty. Suspend mail and newspaper services. You can sign up online to suspend USPS mail service and have your mail delivered to a local post office for up to thirty days. For trips longer than thirty days you should ask a neighbor or friend to pick up your mail. Contact your newspaper provider and ask them to temporarily postpone deliveries. You can also arrange for lawn care services while you’re gone for noticeable activity.
2. Install exterior lighting or motion detectors to deter burglars.
3. Wait to post vacation pictures on social media. This is almost impossible for most people, but you should resist the urge to let the world know you’re not at home. Enjoy the time with your family or friends and post pictures when you return.
4. Check the batteries in home security devices, including motion detectors, cameras, and smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Replace them if necessary. Consider upgrading smoke alarms to home monitoring systems that will notify your local fire department of a fire.
5. Shut off the main water supply. Often times a homeowner will call us upon returning from vacation because they have learned a broken pipe or malfunctioning appliance has caused water damages. After you turn off the water main valve you then need to empty the pipes by running water in your sinks and flushing your toilets. If you would like to leave the water on for an automated sprinkler system, then at least turn off the water supply to the dishwasher, washing machine, and to each toilet. You may think this is an uncommon event, but know this happens all too often. You don’t want to come home to a disaster. Save yourself time and money by being just a little overcautious.
6. Prevent a power surge by unplugging your electronics or make sure they are plugged into a surge protector.
7. Unplug space heaters, candle warmers, outside Christmas lights, and Christmas tree lights when you leave.