In addition to making holiday travel arrangements, you should take steps to prepare your home for the time that you will be away. Preparing yourself and your family for holiday travel requires organization and planning. You want your house to be safe and secure from intruders, and that means making it looked lived-in. You also want your home to run efficiently with no interruptions to services. These precautions will make your holiday travel less stressful and worrisome. You will be able to relax with family and friends knowing that your home is in order.
- Stop your mail, newspaper, or any regular deliveries to your home. Schedule a last date for delivery and first date to start them back up.
- Ask a trusted friend, neighbor, or family member to check on the house. Make sure they know the exact dates you will be away and expect to return. Provide keys and any security codes needed to access your house.
- Clean out your refrigerator and cupboards. Throw away any items that will spoil while you are away. Take out the garbage. Turn off your icemaker, so that it does not overflow.
- Unplug all electronics, including television, computer, printer, shredder, iron, blow dryer, toaster oven, coffee pot, radios or any other fixtures that use electricity and are subject to surges during storms. Use any "economy" settings provided by electronics. Set outdoor electronics, such as fountains, hot tubs and lights on automatic or turn them off.
- Use a timer to turn interior lights on and off. Leave your blinds and drapes in the same position that you normally have them. Clean up the outside of your house. Remove any tools, toys, car supplies, and any objects that could be damaged by unexpected weather conditions. Ask a neighbor to place your trash bins on the street. This will make your home looked lived in.
- Lock up your valuables such as jewelry, electronics and personal documents in a safe or safety deposit box at the bank. If none is available lock them up in a file cabinet or other secure location within your home. You may even consider hiding valuables in a shoebox under the sink or in a storage box in the garage where they would be out of sight. Avoid the common areas people use as hiding places, like the freezer, faux books or jewelry boxes.
- Consider installing exterior motion sensor lights. Ensure that all your doors and windows are locked and your alarm is activated.
- Set your thermostat at a lower temperature to save money. Leave your heating system set to 55° to keep the house warm, so that pipes do not freeze.
- Consider turning off the water going into your hot water tank. If a leak develops while you are away it will be limited to what is in your tank. For a longer trip, turning off the hot water tank completely will save energy.
