8 Tips to Get Your Home Ready for Your Vacation

Posted by on Jun 16, 2016 in Around the House, and Personal Safety Tips

Summer is vacation season and you deserve to enjoy it. But there’s nothing worse than coming back home after a refreshing trip and realizing that something’s amiss. More than 70 percent of burglaries happen when the resident is not home.

take-care-home2 Here are 10 ways to protect and generally take care of your home while you’re away.

Don’t Make it Obvious That You’re Away:

There are certain sure signs that are an indicator to burglars that you’ve been away for some period of time.
  • If you still have a mailbox beside your door, make sure it doesn’t pile up. You can suspend your mail service with Canada Post. Ask a neighbour to round up any junk mail and community newspapers that accumulate over time.
  • If you’re going away for an extended period, don’t forget about the exterior home maintenance that, if not done, will make it obvious there’s no one home. Ask a neighbour or a local neighbourhood teen to take care of your lawn, shrubs or flowers. Offer to pay them – it’s worth it for your home appearance, and to minimize work when you get home.
  • If you plan on posting on your social media accounts about your forthcoming vacation, check your social media settings to make sure that they’re set to private.
  • About 30% of burglars enter homes through unforced entry – that is, unlocked doors that they simply open and walk through. Don’t forget to secure entry points to your home that you don’t ordinarily think about. Ensure the garage is locked, if you have one. Don’t forget to lock all windows if you can.
  • Consider installing timers on a few lights to give the illusion of activity in the home. And speaking of lighting, you might want to install a couple of motion sensor lights outside of the home, which can act as an excellent deterrent.

Other Preparations

  • If you have an alarm system, obviously make sure you arm it. You might also want to let your monitoring company know that you’ll be away for the specific days.
  • Consider turning your thermostat up to 27 degrees Celsius during the summer months, so the A/C won’t be kicking on unless it’s incredibly hot in your home.
  • Unplug large and/or unnecessary appliances to save on energy.
Having the peace-of-mind when you travel that your home is safe and protected will help your vacation truly feel like some “time off” from your life. This summer, be sure that even if you’re not home, it looks like you are! P.S. Need travel insurance for your upcoming trip? Get in touch with your local insurance broker today!

Related Posts

Testimonials

"Just wanted to leave a message for your website that praises Nik Dore for being a constant example of always providing invaluable customer service. I never worry that my questions and concerns will be dismissed or that I am receiving less than constructive advice. Many thanks to him."
&-–
"I know all my insurance needs are covered with Oegema, Nicholson & Associates. I have been a loyal client for the last 15 years, and I can count of them for my commercial insurance, employee benefits, as well as my personal insurance and finances. Jeff Richer always goes above and beyond to help me with my insurance needs."
O-Omkar Atwal, Owner, Leitrim Home Hardware
"It’s always a pleasure to deal with Oegema, Nicholson & Associates, and I can depend on them for all my insurance needs. I have been a client for several years and whether it’s regarding my personal insurance, or anything to do with our employee benefits or commercial needs, I know I’m taken care of."
R-Rhonda, Capital Dodge
"I would like to thank Carol for everything she has done for me and my family over the years. It is my honest belief that we would not be in the position we are in if it was not for her guidance, expertise and honesty. We can't begin to thank her enough."
T-Tim
"ONA helps me with my personal insurance and my business insurance . They are my one stop shop when it comes to insurance and group benefits. I know I’m covered in all areas. Great friendly service and knowledgeable staff!"
J-James Carriveau, President, Exact Interlock and Exact Properties
"One call to Oegema, Nicholson Associates is all it took. After our basement flooded, within a day or two they had a crew cleaning everything up, taking down the drywall and itemizing everything to be cleaned, thrown out or restored. They had everything in place for us in a timely manner and were extremely patient with me as they talked me through the process and waited for me to make decisions."
J-Jennifer Parks, Stittsville, Ontario
"I’ve been dealing with ONA for over 20 years with my personal insurance, as well as our commercial insurance, and I know I can rely on them for great customer service, and prompt responses. I feel confident not only referring them to my employees, but to our customers as well."
C-Charlene Brunet, President, Dan Murphy Ford
Oegema, Nicholson Financial Inc.
1453 WOODROFFE AVENUE
613-686-6338
Ottawa
1451 Woodroffe Avenue
Ottawa, Ontario K2G 1W1
Manotick
5526 Manotick Main Street P.O. Box 149
Ottawa, Ontario K2G 1W1
Almonte
154 Bridge Street P.O. Box 749
Almonte, Ontario K0A 1A0
Russell
243 Castor Street
Russell, Ontario K4R 1B8
Orleans
3-3809 St. Joseph Blvd.
Orleans, Ontario K4A 0Z8

Request More Information