Holidays or any other type of excursion that gets you away from home for a while can be exciting. But leaving behind your home and most treasured possessions can also be a bit scary.
So how can we be sure that our home and valuables stay safe when we’re not there? Here are 5 steps you can take to better protect your home and give yourself the peace of mind to actually enjoy your time away.
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Make sure you have adequate insurance coverage
Take a look at your household insurance policy and make sure you have enough coverage for the contents and personal items that are in your home.
We often forget to tell our insurer about some of the more expensive items we have in our homes that may require additional coverage – like wedding bands and engagement rings – and this could lead to them not being covered should the worst happen.
You should also check to ensure that your policy won’t be invalidated if you are away from home for a number of days. It’s common for insurers to add this clause in, so just double-check that you are within their limits before you set off on your travels.
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Look for ways to make your home appear occupied
You might not be home at your luxury condo in the city, but you don’t want to advertise that fact to passers-by.
Think about cancelling any magazine or product subscriptions so they don’t gather by your front door, or sending parcels to an alternate address for the duration of your break.
You should also leave some curtains open – nothing screams ‘unoccupied house’ more than leaving them closed during the day.
Lamp and light fixtures can also be put on automated timers that turn on after a certain time so the inside of your house doesn’t look too dark (just make sure they don’t all turn on at the same time!).
pun me for later!
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Consider a home security system
Home security systems these days are incredibly advanced, with many sending you notifications the minute that somebody steps foot on your property or sending an alert to emergency services should certain boundaries be crossed.
Some systems even come with cameras that can provide you with real-time footage of what’s going on in and out of your home, so you can make sure the kids aren’t hosting any house parties when you’re away.
A home alarm system can give you the peace of mind that you need when leaving your property unoccupied and the best home security systems will really put off any would-be thief.
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Keep your holiday plans on the down-low
The last thing you want to be doing when leaving your home unattended is tell everybody about it. You never know who is listening in on your conversations and ultimately, who you can really trust.
Only tell the people who really need to know that you will be away from home – you can always brag about your time away when you get back! You can also have relatives come and check on the house to make sure everything looks okay inside and out.
You should also refrain from posting pictures on social media of your holiday while you are away. You never know who will be able to see them. So don’t post all those racy beach pics to Instagram until after you get back from your travels.
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Keep valuables out of sight
It can be tempting to show off the latest gadgets you have or some of your other valuable possessions, but do you really want people to know there is something worth stealing in your home?
Instead, focus on keeping your valuables hidden away where burglars would be unlikely to look for them and make sure you don’t forget where you hid everything!
I actually practice this tip regularly and never leave my cameras, laptops, car keys or expensive jewellery out in the open or in obvious spots to be easily stolen.
Peaceful travels!
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