Property Care Tips When You Are Away For Winter Vacation

Property care and maintenance are essential all the year, but it is more important during your vacation for at least two reasons:

1. First of all, you want your home sweet home in perfect condition when coming back from vacation. Any disaster waiting for your return would cause discomfort, ruined enjoyment and financial loss.
2. You cannot enjoy the holiday if you are continually worrying about your home and the expensive equipment.

You need to make sure your home is safe from

1. Ill-intentions
2. Resource Wastage
3. Accidental Damage
4. Natural Disasters (Flood, Storm)

1.    Securing House From Malevolent People

Thieves know how an empty house looks alike. They also know, it is easy to break into a vacant property. If you can deceive them at first step of information collection, your home will be safe.

A.      Ask the Company to Put a hold on your regular MAIL

A full mailbox or mail at the doorstep is the first sign of an empty home. Ask your mailman or post office to hold your letters for that period. Do the same with your newspaper if you have any. If you are unable to do so for whatever reason, then trust a neighbor to collect these items regularly.

B.      Install Home Security Systems and Alarms

Today we have very sophisticated electronic security systems available that can watch your property and even broadcast the video to you through the internet. To make these installations more efficient, you should prominently announce that this house is watched electronically or under the supervision of a security company. This announcement is often good enough to deter potential thieves.

C.      Create a presence at home

There are many tips you can choose from like:

• Timer controlled TV, radio to add a routine noise.
• Lights on/off at regular interval
• Leave a car in the driveway
• Ask someone to mow the lawn once a week
• Have some toys left outside

2.    Reducing Resource Wastage

There are many energy efficiency tips you can follow to reduce your bills and unnecessary wastage during vacation.

A. Stop or Reduce Heating and Cooling Systems Usage

Heating and cooling systems not only consume much energy but they are also a source of possible electrical and fire-related accidents. Central air conditioning is a significant source of energy consumption so you should switch it off. If for some reason it is not possible then set it to a minimum level to save resources. A water heater is another high energy consumption device that works round the clock in winter. Some systems may need to operate on a low level to avoid freezing.

B. Switch off Electrical Appliances

Many devices consume electricity even in standby mode. Turning off the main switch of the building should be the first option. If it is not possible or useful, then one should visit the whole house to unplug all unnecessary devices. If you need to turn on lights in some rooms to give an illusion of presence, then use timer installed automatic lights. You can use a timer to turn on the radio for some hours. Turn off the refrigerator if you will be away for weeks.

More tips: –

• Adjust curtains and blinds to conserve energy.
• Cancel unnecessary subscriptions like cable connection, internet or other gym and club memberships. (Only useful, if you will not use these services for at least one month.)
• Last but not least, take care of your pets and small plants that need your attention to survive.

1. Accidental Damage

An empty house cannot defend itself in case of a disaster. It is essential to keep your home safe from any accidental damage.

A. Ask someone to visit your house regularly

You can hire someone to visit your house daily for checking any problem. Neighbors are very helpful in this regard. There might be some companies or professional services in your area for this purpose. Check your community for best quotes.

B. Minimize possible risks

For example:

• Switching off fire-prone devices
• Switching off main supply of water, gas, electricity where possible
• Emptying fuel tanks and other flammables where applicable
• Keep valuable items and necessary documents in a safe place like lockers

C. Get adequate Insurance Plan

It is not possible to safeguard your house against all the things that can go wrong. Getting a comprehensive insurance plan for your house is a good option. You may get 20-30% off at this time of year.

Conclusion

A stitch in time saves nine. Properly planning and safeguarding your home will help you enjoy your vacations. Wish you a great holiday and refreshing start for the year to come. Bon voyage.