If you’re relaxing on a Caribbean beach, or enjoying a bus tour through historic Paris, the last thing you want to worry about is your home. Most people know the basics of keeping a home secure while away. Here are some additional tips that are easy to miss:
Tell your kids not to boast about your fabulous vacation plans, especially on social media. The fewer who know that the house is empty, the better.
- Ask a neighbour to pick up any mail dropped at your doorstep. But, don’t rely on that alone. Call the post office to temporarily halt delivery.
- Set-up timers to automatically turn lights on and off. However, most will stop working if the power goes out and they’ll restart with the incorrect time when the power comes back on. That’s why you should keep at least a couple of lights turned on continuously.
- Open the blinds. If you’re leaving in the evening, or before dawn, this can be easy to forget. Closed blinds during the day are a dead giveaway that the owners are away.
Finally, experts recommend creating a home security checklist, so you don’t forget anything. That alone will give you peace-of-mind.
Debbie Tsintaris is a LOCAL REALTOR® in the Waterloo Region offering expert real estate services in Waterloo and surrounding areas in Southwestern Ontario.
