Do you know how to prepare your home before going on vacation in Eldersburg?

When you are ready to head out of town for a well-earned vacation, don’t leave before securing your home. Unexpected weather events or intruders can create headaches when you return. Restoration 1 of Eldersburg will help by giving you some preventative measures to help you avoid disaster.

Ways to Protect Your Home While on Vacation

It doesn’t matter what season it is in Eldersburg, there is always the potential for disaster. Following these guidelines can make a huge difference in protecting your property.

The Week Before Departure

Toss (or eat) anything in the refrigerator that may turn funky or spoil while you’re away.

Place a lamp near the window and use a timer light.

Dark homes at night are easy targets for thieves. Lamps, used with on and off timers create the illusion that someone is home. Adding timers on outdoor spotlights, driveway lights or garage lights will also help. Using light timers also lights prevents prolonged use of electricity, which prevents fires and saves energy.

Tell your neighbors

Neighbors can keep tabs on any unusual traffic and could respond if a tree falls on your roof during a storm. Leaving a house key with your neighbors is a good idea in case they need to check on something or let in a home service technician if disaster strikes. Your neighbors also need to know how to get in touch with you.

Suspend mail and newspaper deliveries while you’re away. Piled up mail and newspapers will alert thieves that no one has been around for a while and offers a perfect opportunity for a break-in.

Make boarding or other arrangements for your pets.

On the Day of Departure

Especially in the winter months, shut off the main water supply, in case a pipe freezes, this will prevent water from continuously flowing.

Thermostat adjustments

To save some money, it’s tempting to shut your heat or AC off when away from home, but it’s important to keep them running. To keep pipes from freezing in the winter, don’t lower your temperature below 55º and in the summer, to prevent mold and mildew, keep your temperature no higher than 80º.

Adjusting the blinds

For windows that face the street, leave your blinds partially up to make the home look lived-in. Leaving the other blinds all the way down will conserve heat or maintain cooler air.

Leave internal doors open throughout your home to encourage air circulation.

Some water heaters are equipped with a vacation mode dial, if so, turn it to that setting. This will keep the water in the tank at a lower temperature to prevent wasting energy and if the water heater is electric, you could also just unplug it.

Unplugging electronics and appliances in the home will prevent phantom power draw and provide surge protection.

If you’ll have pets staying at home that could jump on the stove and accidentally switch it on, then lock your oven control panel.

Lock all doors and windows

Make sure houseplants are watered

Empty all trash cans

If you should find your home has suffered water damage from frozen burst pipes or any other disaster, call on Restoration 1 of Eldersburg to restore your home back to pre-disaster conditions.