Home Security Checklist (Keep Your Home Safe While You’re Away)

Home Security Checklist – When going on vacation or a business trip, it’s very easy to get distracted and forget what you have done before leaving. That is, of course, until you get to the airport or the train station, and your mind starts to wonder if you closed all the windows, locked the doors, turned the stove off, etc.  And just like that, your mood is ruined, as you’re stressing over your home’s safety.

Sounds familiar? Well, it doesn’t have to be that way. The simplest solution to enjoy your vacation in peace is to create a checklist. It may sound obvious, but writing all the things you need to take care of before leaving, will save you a lot of trouble. Here’s what you need to consider before leaving your house.

Lock Your Doors and Windows

It is the most apparent safety measure you need to take before leaving your home. You should lock all the outer doors and windows. Close the garage door and make sure your house is secure as if you’re leaving your home forever.

Also, if you think that some parts of your home require repairs, make sure to take care of them in advance. For instance, let’s say you need to garage door repair in Peoria AZ. If you fail to do that, thieves may find it easy to get into your house through your garage.

The same goes for other necessary home security upgrades and repairs, like taking care of your fire alarm system or broken door locks.

Related: How to keep your home cool

Let Your Neighbors Know You’re Away

Home Security Checklist – You might want to consider asking your neighbor to water your garden and make sure your pet is fed and kept company while you’re away. It’s also a good idea to ask your neighbors to keep an eye out for any suspicious activity on your property.

Don’t Brag About Your Holiday on Social Media

No matter as tempting as it may be, don’t post any pictures on social media during your vacation. Sure, it won’t be easy. After all, we all love to brag about how fun our trips are. However, doing that gives criminals a chance to see if they can break into homes unnoticed. That’s why, as a rule of thumb, it’s best if you post your awesome pictures once you’re back.

Purchase Home Security Monitoring Devices

The best way to ensure safety during your trip is to sign up for a home security monitoring device. It can be an alarm system, security cameras, or any other type of monitoring device from brands. These devices will send a notification to your phone when something happens in your house, letting you know what’s going on while you’re away.

Turn On a Vacation Mode

If you still don’t feel completely safe leaving your home, consider turning on, if you have such an option, a vacation mode. This way, your voice assistant will always be ready to help, and your lights will turn on even with the simple press of a button. Use these amenities while you’re away from home, and turn them off automatically when you get back.

Make a Home Checklist

There are many things you might forget before leaving your home. Therefore, you should make a checklist of all the things you need to do before leaving. Put all these to-dos on it, and make sure you don’t forget anything important.

As a rule of thumb, you shouldn’t leave everything until the last minute. Instead, prepare your checklist in advance, and categorize various tasks. Doing that will ensure you get everything done before leaving.

Turn Off the Water

As a rule of thumb, it’s best to turn off the main water line before you leave. Doing that will prevent water from flooding your house, which is something you probably would like to avoid.

Plumbing leaks tend to happen without warning, and if not taken care of immediately, they can be destructive, leading to severe and expensive home damages. Considering all that, turning off your water doesn’t seem like much, does it? Still, it will ensure you come to an undamaged and dry house. It’s always a good idea to consult with a plumbing professional to make sure everything is in order.

Set up Automatic Timers for Lights and Appliances

You can use smart light bulbs that will turn on automatically when it’s dark, and turn off when it becomes bright outside. You can also set up http://theshoalspharmacy.com timers when you come home after work or at night so your lights will be turned on as you walk in the door. If your house has a fireplace or a fire pit, install an automatic timer to light up the fire as soon as it gets dark outside.

These steps will not only ensure safety for your house, but they will also make it look lived in while you’re away. Just don’t forget to turn them off before leaving home and turning on a vacation mode.

And if you don’t have smart appliances, consider asking your friend or neighbor to come into your home to turn on the lights and make it look like there’s someone inside. Such a practice will significantly lower your chances of getting robbed while you’re away.

Final Note

Home is the last thing you want to worry about when lying on the beach with a drink in your hand. However, to ensure you can relax and have fun on your vacation, there are a few things you should do before leaving. Just to make sure nothing terrible happens when you are away.

The first thing to do is create a checklist of everything you need to do to improve your home security. Make sure you prepare it in advance, as some things may require time, like repairs or house upgrades.

Another thing is to let your neighbors and friends know that you’re away. You can also ask them to keep an eye out for your home so that nothing bad happens. The good idea is to ensure all your (if you have any) smart devices work as they should.

Once you consider all that, you can be sure that your home is safe, meaning you can enjoy your vacation and relax.