Far from home: still thinking whether you left the gas on?
One of the best parts of travelling, whether on a long trip or a two week vacation, is the chance to leave the worries of home and work behind and relax. Watching the sun set over the ocean while sipping a cocktail should be part of a carefree holiday. But for homeowners who travel there is often a little nagging thought of “I wonder if everything is ok at home”. During a flight home my mind often drifts to our arrival in the house and the hope that we won’t step into a disaster zone. So what’s the best way to enjoy our surroundings and not worry about what may or may not be happening at home?
Best of all is to get a reliable housesitter if possible. On our two longest trips we asked young friends who were happy to step away from their parents’ homes and live on their own in our house for a while. It meant the house was heated, it looked lived in and the mail was collected. Most importantly, when we had a problem with our heating boiler it was taken care of (we had left an emergency fund to cover such a possibility). And our housesitter didn’t even tell us there had been a problem until we returned home and it had been sorted.
Assuming you have to leave the house empty, try these simple tips to give you peace of mind while away:
1. Switch off the mains water supply to the house. Pipes can crack or leak, and an unchecked water leak can destroy a house in the course of a week. It might seem overkill but it could be the single best measure you will ever take to protect the house.
2. Stop all free newspapers and leaflets. We get two free newspapers a week and the delivery boys tend to leave them sticking halfway through the letterbox. Leave it there for a few days and it’s a great advert to potential burglars that the house is empty. A sign requesting no papers is usually enough.
3. Pull all plugs out of electrical sockets, leaving nothing on standby. Apart from the wasted money on power you’re creating an unnecessary fire risk.
4. I’m not sure about the light on a timer switch. We do use it, so that there is a light on in the house for the evening hours while we’re away. But it might not be much of a deterrent, especially if the lights come on and off at the same time.
5. Car on the drive. Offer your driveway to a neighbour to use. A car that is coming and going from outside the house is more likely to signify an occupied house than a constantly present car, or an empty space.
6. And here’s the big one. Think about who you communicate with online and how much information you give. Just accepted that stranger’s friend request? Just posted about your three week vacation in the Bahamas? Social media can provide rich pickings for scammers. If you are going to freely share your whereabouts with anybody, it’s not unreasonable to expect that the odd criminal might take an interest in you. If you’re not going to be in your house for the next month, they might just make the most of it.
