Prep Your Home For A Long Absence With These Helpful Tips
Leaving your home unattended for any amount of time can cause undue stress and worry. The best defense against unrest while you’re away is proper preparation.
When you have the peace of mind knowing that you did everything you could to protect your home, you can spend more time enjoying your sabbatical from everyday life. Take the necessary steps to prepare your home for a long-term absence, and check out these tips as you make your checklist.
Store your most valuable belongings
If you’re leaving for a timespan of more than just a few months, you may want to consider storing your most valuable belongings. It is usually common for both domestic and business customers to overlook self-storage units as a solution, however, with its convenience, low cost, and high security, this could be a great choice for those planning to rely on them. Also, leaving high-quality electronics, mementos, and other high-value materials will be well served by a climate-controlled storage unit. If you find that a viable option, you can approach such units in your vicinity and check out their pricing plans (check out Boombox, a San Francisco Bay Area storage company as a reference here, if interested).
For those who don’t plan to be gone for more than a couple of months, it may be better to invest in protective coverings for your belongings. Furniture covers will keep the dust and other debris of vacancy off of the things that make your home more comfortable.
Avoid the appearance of being away
You don’t want your home to scream, “I’m empty.” When a home shows clear signs of being vacant, thieves take notice. Take the necessary steps to make your home appear as if it is still being occupied and maintained.
Stop the newspaper from being delivered, and put a hold on your mail. You don’t even have to go to the post office to request a hold. You can do everything you need to do from the comfort of home online.
Empty out the refrigerator and trash cans
Even if you’re only leaving for a few weeks, you’ll want to assure that you don’t come home to any funky smells. Food in the refrigerator will spoil. Trash in the cans will sour, and dirty dishes will cause quite the stink, so tidy up before you leave.
Notify the proper people of your absence
You don’t want to tell everyone that you’re leaving your home unattended, but there are some people who need to know of your absence for safety reasons. Let a trusted neighbor know you’re leaving, so they can keep an eye out for any unusual activity around your home.
You may also want to inform a close family member. Give them a key, so they can check on your home from time to time. Also, it’s a good idea to inform your security company of your extended absence.
Arrange care for pets and plantsIf you have any animals that aren’t going to be traveling with you, you’ll have to make arrangements for their well-being while you’re away. It seems like an obvious step in preparation, but it’s important to plan ahead of time for your animals.
