How to protect your home when you are off on a vacation Tips And Tricks

While on a holiday, we all want our homes to be safe. Read on for some quick home safeguarding tips before you take your flight
BASIC preventive measures can work wonders to help you keep your home safe from power surges, broken pipes, home invasions and more while you're away. So while you are out holidaying, avoid mishaps happening back home by just a few simple tips.

Take help from a friend/neighbour: A simple trick while traveling is to ask a friend or neighbour to keep an eye on your house while you're away. You could ask him/her to check on your place. If trustworthy, you could give them your home keys to bring your mail in, feed your cat or water your plants.

Don’t announce your outing: In a world where everyone is updating holiday profiles on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, think twice before posting holiday itinerary which could be read by complete strangers. Be careful of what you say on your answering machine or voice mail too. Callers don't need to know that you're not home.

Curtain call: Before you leave for a vacation, you may decide to close your curtains to prevent people from peering inside your home. Leave your curtains exactly as you usually keep them when you're home, since noticeable changes could hint that you're not around anymore, especially if your curtains are uncharacteristically left closed for two weeks.

Lights on: Leaving the lights on throughout your vacation to make it look like someone is in the house would of course shoot up your electricity bill. You could purchase a light switch timer that can turn your lights on and off automatically according to a programmed schedule. How- ever, ensure that your CCTV camera, if any is on.

Stop daily deliveries: Inform the milkman, news- paper vendor etc. to stop their deliveries for the time you are away or arrange to have a friend or neighbour pick it up for you while you're away. A week's worth of papers piled on your front step could signal to criminals that this particular homeowner is out of town.

Check on the pipe: Take precautions like making sure your pipes are properly insulated and keeping your heat on while you're away. Show your key-bearing companion the location of the water main shut-off in case a pipe breaks.

Pull the Plug: Unplug your television, computer, toaster oven and other appliances to protect them from power surges. This will help you save power as well; many appliances draw energy even when they're turned off.

Remove Spare Key: Are you one of those who keep a spare key under the door mat? If, a criminal finds out you're away on vacation, it's likely that he or she will check your porch for a spare key. So reach under the mat, into the mailbox, above the door frame or into the flower pot and remove your spare key before you leave on your vacation.

Keep in touch: You may be out of town but ensure that you are not out of reach. Leave your contact details with friends/neigh- bours to be reached in case an emergency arises.

 Source : Mid - Day