Protecting the Value of Your Home During Long-Term Travel

If the title of this post appeals to you, you’ve got two things going for you: you’re a homeowner, and you’ve earned a long vacation. Any way you spin it, this means you work really hard. Whether you’re heading out for a few months on sabbatical, or you’re just using up all of your paid time off, I’m proud of you. Now let’s make sure you have your affairs in order before you take off. These six tips focus on the safety, protection and maintenance of your home over longer vacancies.

Install a security system

Empty homes are one of the most frequent burglary targets. Security systems can dispatch the police to your home, or just be loud enough to scare off the perpetrators. A standard security system will typically include sensors on all entry doors and easily accessed windows that react when the openings are no longer flush. You can even include motion-activated sensors.

With new technological advances, you can now monitor the security of your home right from your computer or smartphone. You can monitor cameras, control lighting and even sound an alarm, just with the touch of a finger. Many insurance companies will lower your homeowner’s insurance rates if you have a security system installed.

Get a safe

A fireproof safe is a great investment for anyone,  owner or renter. When you’re not home, a safe can protect all your important and valuables items, even through a disaster. Make sure to leave any important documents you have in the safe before you leave for long-term travel. These documents include the deed of your home, passports, birth certificates and more.

Think of anything valuable that you have in your home before you travel. Smaller valuable items – like jewelry or collectibles – can also be kept in the safe until your return.

Get another set of eyes

Having someone you trust stop by your house once or twice a week while you’re away is an excellent way to make sure nothing has gone wrong. Make sure the mail gets checked and the newspapers are brought inside. Encourage them to visit at different times each day so that there is no consistent time when a thief would know the house to be empty. Make sure this is a person you trust, as they will have access to your home. You also want to make sure the person you ask will follow through with what you’ve asked. A next door neighbor is typically the most convenient option, as they typically see your home often.

Have the yard work done

Asking someone to take care of your yard work – or even paying someone to do it – is the perfect way to make your home look lived in. Concealing your vacation is the best way to prevent intruders from taking interest in your house. An unshoveled driveway or an overgrown lawn are dead giveaways that a homeowner isn’t currently home.

If you are looking for a great person to take care of your simple yard work, considering hiring a neighborhood kid. Offering a small amount of cash, like $20, can end up being a great amount of relief when you’re on vacation and your home is safe.

If you’re worried about your yard or wood features getting destroyed while you’re gone, consider scheduling a lawn care or outdoor pest control service to stop by. Certain pests, like termites, cockroaches, bats and ants can cause serious damage or a different type of home invasion in a small amount of time. If you aren’t prepared for these pests before you leave, you could be faced with thousands of dollars in damage when you return home.

Reading about what pests you need to worried about and how to prevent them is the best way to make sure your home is safe. Many local pest control specialists can help you determine what type of prevention plan is best for you.

Don’t leave a mess

Cleaning your house prior to leaving is great for many reasons. First of all, you won’t have to deal with cleaning when you get back. That’s a great feeling. More importantly, when you clean the floors and surfaces and tidy everything before you leave you are more likely to be certain that you don’t have any bigger issues. You may find in your cleaning that you have an appliance or toilet that is leaking. That’s great to know before it destroys your flooring or leaks to other floors of your house.

Or maybe you have a little furry friend that has a tendency to hide “presents” for you throughout the house. Doing an overall clean before you leave will allow you to find those problematic presents and salvage the carpet while you can. Before long trips, I recommend hiring a professional carpet cleaner to come and do a pet odor or pet urine removal treatment. Pet odors can set into your carpet padding and become harder to remove the longer they set in. No one wants to come home to that kind of smell, and replacing carpets is not cheap.

Leaving a clean house also makes it easier to tell whether you’ve been robbed or not. My teenage daughter’s room always looks like it’s been torn apart and I never know if it’s because there was a burglary or if that’s really just the way she lives.

Unplug non-essential appliances

A great way to prevent electrical fires and other accidents is to unplug any type of electrical item that isn’t essential. There are typically many of these in a home, such as televisions, lamps, computers, microwaves and more. Any of these could turn into a fire hazard while you’re away.

Not only does this prevent fire, it protects your items. If there is an electrical surge or storm, your items will not be damaged by a power outage. And in turn, the consumption of less power will make your energy bill go down.

I’m sure these risks and disasters might not be what you want to read about before a vacation. But now you know how you can prepare for them so that you don’t have to worry at all during your trip, and a worry-free vacation is what everyone dreams of. You’ve worked hard to get the home that you have, don’t let your equity be in jeopardy just because you’re taking some well-deserved time away.

If you enjoy the content at iBankCoin, please follow us on Twitter