I know one of the big concerns when we vacation is making sure our homes stay safe. While I can’t make any guarantees that any of these methods will work for you, I know these are popular methods that many people look to when preparing their home before traveling abroad.
1. Home Monitoring System- These systems will typically sound an alarm and alert you if something should happen. Most also do run through a phone list of people to alert, should you not answer due to being out of town. There are plenty of companies that you can look to locally if this is an option you’d like to look more into. I use both an alarm service and Ring video service so I am alerted and can check what's going on while traveling.
2. Friends and Family- I always designate a friend, family member, or neighbor to keep an eye on my home, while I'm gone. I usually have them pick up mail or packages.
3. Mail Service- If you don’t have someone that can collect your mail, you can go to your local post office to put your mail on hold while you are out. Additionally, you can coordinate with a service like UPS, to have them deliver to one of their hubs, so you can pick it up upon return.
4. Motion Light- I remember my dad would always set one of these up before we left on vacation. He put a timer on a lamp that would be visible from a front room, and have the timer turn on the lamp during the evenings to make it look like we were home. I also have motion detector lights with cameras to monitor any disturbances while I travel. Only our "Friend" Linda the Skunk came for a visit while we were on our most recent cruise.
5. Social Media- Social media can be a blessing and a curse. I know it's hard to stay off social media and post your amazing trip photos while you're away. You may want to consider keeping your profiles private, so that only your close contacts know that you are away.
So do you do any of the items on this list, or might you have something else that you do before you leave? Please share, as I’d love to know more great ideas!