Insurance tip of the Month - Keeping Your Home Safe While Away on Vacation
The best way to keep your home safe while you’re away on your next vacation is through proper preparation and planning ahead of time.
HUB International is so confident in this approach, our team has created a pre-vacation checklist of to-dos that all homeowners should tackle before departing on their next big adventure. And before you convince yourself that this process is too time-consuming, let us assure you that most of them can be done quickly and without much effort. Plus, to make things even easier for you, we have organized our tips and tricks into three sections, allowing you the opportunity to tackle this checklist in small, manageable chunks versus all at once.
Guard Your Home While You Are Away
While on vacation, a break in is a very real concern that many homeowners have. At HUB International, we don’t like to leave anything to chance, which is why we contacted a local law enforcement officer and asked him for some pointers. Below are four security tips that he shared, to not only help guard your home while you’re away, but also deter thieves from targeting your property in the first place.
- Leave a car (or two) in the driveway. A visible vehicle will likely prevent thieves from targeting your house altogether because it typically indicates that someone is home.
- Entrust a neighbor to take your mail and packages in daily or contact your town’s post office to take advantage of their Hold Mail service. A stack of mail in the mailbox or a pile of Amazon packages on the front doorstep is a clear indicator that no one is home, which is why this to-do is essential.
- Leave lights on inside and outside of your house. Like keeping a car in the driveway, lights will tell a suspicious someone that the homeowner and/or a house sitter is inside.
- Install an alarm system that notifies the appropriate officials in the case of an emergency, such as burglary and fire. Not only is this a great tip, but an at-home security system can potentially save you money on your home insurance policy as well.
Believe it or not, homeowners often overlook security measures when preparing to leave town for shorter durations, such as a long weekend away. However, as your local insurance agent, we would like to remind you that proper security is essential, regardless of the length of your trip. Therefore, in addition to the security tips recommended by the local police officer, here are six more action items you should consider doing before entering vacation mode.
Secure Your Home Before Your Trip
-
- Lock all of your doors and windows.
- Invest in exterior motion-sensor lights as a deterrence.
- Let neighbors know that you are going away.
- Consider leaving a key or alarm code with a trustworthy friend or family member to check on your home. Don’t be shy to ask them to also water your house plants, feed your fish, and walk your trash and recycling bins curbside for trash day, you never know when a suspicious person may be surveying the neighborhood.
- Refrain from announcing your travel plans on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Additionally, avoid checking in to any locations via social media or posting any pictures until after you return home.
- Invest in smart home gadgets that will allow you to control and/or view your home while away. There are many options available today including devices that allow you to monitor your thermostat, view live security camera footage, and even, turn on interior and exterior lights with a simple click or swipe. However, while we are fans of this new technology, it is our recommendation that you combine these modern solutions with some of the old-fashioned security measures suggested by the local authorities. Technology while convenient, is not always reliable or even available without adequate WiFi connectivity.
If you have any questions about the tips provided in this blog, call us today at 833-GoCallHUB to chat with a friendly HUB International agent on how you can properly protect your home.
Giving you coverage on what matters most. As a member of GFA, you don't have to choose between getting the coverage you need or saving money. To have a representative from our insurance partners reach out to you with more information or to provide a quote, please click here.
Don’t wait contact HUB today!
(833)GoCallHub
(833)462-2554
nee.groups@hubinternational.com