Home Watch Travel tips - The utltimate guide to keep your vacant home safe

Keep Your Home Safe While on Vacation or if Your Home is Vacant or Unoccupied

This is the ultimate guide to keep your home safe when you are away from it. Some simple and inexpensive steps you can take to protect your most valuable asset - Your Home!

1. Find a House Sitter

Probably the best way to make sure your house is safe while you're gone is to have someone you trust live in it. You may be lucky enough to have a tidy and conscientious relative who'll move in temporarily, water the plants, take good care of the pets, pick up the newspapers/fliers and do all the normal maintenance things that need doing.

2. Pets
If you have a number of pets, it may be more cost effective to have a pet sitter come to your home than to board them. In many areas, a pet sitter can cost about the same amount as a stay in a kennel for two or three animals. You'll be cutting down on the pet stress and your home will have the lived in look that is desired.

3. Hire a Home Watch Service

There are services you can use for house-sitting, pet-sitting and home-watch while you're away. This will cost you some money, but it's a better solution than burdening family and friends, and especially if you are planning leave your home vacant for more than a few weeks. Inspected by 42 Home Watch provides this service to the Ottawa and surrounding areas - http://www.inspectedby42.com/ottawa-home-watch

4. Hold or Forward your Mail - Don't miss Important Mail 

When you're leaving for more than a couple of days, you can call your local post office to stop mail delivery until you get back. You can even submit a hold or forward mail request online. The minimum fee for residential customers is for ten weekdays.

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To submit a hold or forward mail request online, visit the Canada Post: hold or forward mail service

5. Stop The Newspaper

A pile of yellowing newspapers and fliers on the front doorstep is a classic signal for a home that's unoccupied. Stopping the newspaper when you leave town for a while is an easy detail to forget and one that will make you a sure target. If you're still reading newsprint, make sure you stop service when you leave on vacation. And why not switch to reading the newspaper online when you return!

6. Have those Fliers, Unsolicited junk and Door Hangers Collected

Just like newspapers on the driveway or overflowing at the mailbox, a pizza door hanger, fliers and other unsolicited junk in your mailbox left for several days tells burglars your home is ripe for the picking.  Because you can't plan for every contingency, have someone in the area check your house periodically. Whether it's a neighbor or relative, nothing beats having a person check your property every day or two while you're gone.

7. Simulate the Lived in Look

An occupied home looks lived in. Lights go on and off, and cars come and go. When you're away, everything stops. To help create the illusion that the home is still occupied, invest in lamp timers that turn on the interior lights for a few hours every evening. If you can get a neighbor to take out your garbage and recycling boxes; and put the cans back after the garbage pickup, it's another way to send the message that everything is proceeding normally at your house. Other ideas to have the lived in look:

• Have a radio on a timer that plays during certain hours of the day 
• Get a burglar deterrent CD recordings with a schedule-able player and timers. 
• Maintain an everyday appearance by leaving some curtains and blinds open. 
• There are plenty of home automation devices that can help in the area
• Have someone park their car and use  your driveway while you are away

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Don't close your blinds when you leave on vacation if you usually keep them open. The more normal your home looks, the better.

8. Property Maintenance
If you're a diligent homeowner who mows the lawn every week, and things start to look overgrown and neglected, it's easy to come to the conclusion that you're not around. If you plan on being away for an extended period of time, hire someone to take care of the landscaping chores in your absence. 
Other tips to help give your home the appearance that someone still around:

• In the winter months hire someone to clear the driveway, walkways and steps. 
• Check all nearby streetlights to be sure they are functional. If not, contact your electricity company or city to request a repair. Would be intruders are not as fond of well-lit areas. 
• Clean your eaves troughs before you leave ensuring proper drainage in cases of severe rain. Also ensure the downspouts extension are connected and 4 to 6 feet from the foundation 
• Trim tree limbs and bushes away from the home; they retain moisture in your home and provide a hiding places for would be burglars. Also it will also prevent easy access for animals to your roof. Noting worse then coning home to find a family of raccoon's living in your attic. 
• Have your furnace or air conditioning system serviced by a qualified technician. This decreases the chances of potential breakdowns 
• Keep outside gates locked - Burglars look for the easiest entry point into your home that carries the least amount of risk of being noticed. What better way to gain access to your house without being noticed than through your backyard? Even if the back door is locked, burglars can take their time getting it open without the risk of someone walking by. 
• Don't leave tools or ladders outside which can be used to gain access to your home. They should be properly stored in a shed and the shed should always be locked. An unlocked shed or yard full of tools and equipment is easy prey for burglars. Putting away and locking these valuables, makes your home less of an “easy target” 
• Walk around your home and look at your shrubbery. If bushes and shrubs obscure your windows and doors, trim them back. Burglars love the screening overgrown shrubs provide. 
• Put away barbecues, lawn furniture, bicycles and other items that you might normally store on your porch or in your yard.

9. Secure the windows and Doors

So obvious, but, it's easy to forget. If you keep a window unlocked to allow the cat easy access, or never bother to turn the deadbolt on the kitchen door, now's the time to clean up your act. Locking your home makes it less attractive to opportunistic burglars. If you don't make it easy, there's a better chance that when you get home, your house will be in the same condition as when you left it. Some other window and door tips:

• Lock the door between the garage and the house.
• Add a clamp to the garage door track (see how burglars can break in to your garage in 6 seconds https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXuifg1x_-Y
• Unplug garage door opener
• Put a metal pole or broom stick in sliding patio doors and windows
• Add some frosting material to overhead garage door windows so you can't see that the vehicle is gone
• Lock or secure all pet doors that a person might crawl through.

10. Don't Advertise that Your Home will be Vacant or Unoccupied

Show some caution when you talk about your trip. Your blog, Twitter, Facebook and other social media are not the best places to announce that you'll be away from home. Being aware of who's around when you discuss your trip in restaurants and even at work isn't a bad idea either. Make sure that your children are discreet, too.  The less information you put out there, the less likely it is to reach the wrong ears and eyes

11. Unplug Electronics

Disconnecting the power to some of your electronics, like your desktop computer, coffee pot and television can save you money while you're gone and eliminate the worry that you've accidentally left them on by mistake. Unplugging your garage door is also an effective way to keep burglars from opening it with a universal remote. Do not unplug your refrigerator unless it is completely empty and clean and you can secure the door in the "open" position.

12. Cable, Internet and Computers
Some service providers will allow you to put the service on hold while you are away for a small fee. Make sure to password protect computers, tablets and phones left at home, just in case a burglar finds them.

13. Telephone (land line) and Answering Machine or Voice-mail

Turn down your telephone ringer volume and set your voice mail to pick up after one ring. An endlessly-ringing telephone indicates that no one is home to answer it.  If you have a alarm system

you will need to keep your phone service active, but if you don't you may be able to put the service on hold.  And don't leave a message on your answering machine that tells the caller that you are "in Florida" until the end of the month.

14. Your Vehicle

Don't leave a portable GPS device in your car when you use long-term parking at the airport. It'll alert potential thieves that you're not home and give them a convenient map to your house. Same goes for your insurance or ownership slips - don't leave anything in your car with your address on it.  

• You may also want to disconnect the battery (some devices in the car can drain the battery)
• Alternatively you could put a smart trickle charger on the battery to maintain it automatically
• Add fuel stabilizer to a full tank of gas to ensure smooth starting
• Maybe have someone start and drive the vehicle is left for a few months

15. Heating Your House
You do not want to turn the thermostat off completely. In the winter, about 55 F or 13 C seems to be the cut off point. and 80 degrees is a good setting during the summer. WiFi enabled thermostats are 

16. Cooling Your House
You do not want to turn the thermostat off completely. 80 F or 27 C is a good setting during the summer. An A/C unit not running on a very hot day is a give away to burglars that no one is home.also available.

17. Water and Plumbing
This is one area that you must pay particular attention to.  Water is your enemy when you are not at home. Follow these guidelines for peace of mind while away:

• Add Flood Sensors: You can purchase flood sensors that can be added to your alarm/home automation or that are Internet enabled so you can be alerted if something happens at home when you are not there. Some flood sensors even have autodialers to call your cell phone. Mold can grow quickly in a damp house while you're away.
• Water Heater:  You can turn down the temperature on the water heater, set it to vacation mode or completely turn it off (either by unplugging it or turning the breaker off at the panel or turning the gas/oil off). This can be an excellent way to save energy as well.
• Protect your pipes: Especially if you live in an area where cold weather is a possibility, make sure that your pipes are protected. In vulnerable areas like the attic, basement and crawl spaces, make sure the pipes are well insulated. In such a situation, it is also very important to have a trusted friend, family member or neighbor stop by every so often just to turn on faucets to make extra sure that the pipes do not freeze.
• Shut off the Water Supply: Shutting off the water supply is a safe way to ensure there won't be a flood as result of a pipe breaking or connection leaking in the house.  In really cold climates, it's a good idea to even open the main and check that the supply lines to the house are not frozen every few days.
• Drain the Pipes: If you do shut off the water supply, you can drain the pipes by opening the lowest faucet in the house to drain the pipes.  Leave one tap open slightly so that when you turn the water back on you won;t over pressurize the system which could cause weak seals to fail.
• Add RV Plumbing Anti-Freeze:  In cold climates after shutting the water off and draining the pipes, you can add some RV plumbing anti-freeze to the toilets, drain traps, dishwasher and washing machines in case there is a prolonged power outage.  You'll need to top up the traps every once in a while as the anti-freeze tends to evaporate over time.
• Exterior Faucets: Make sure your exterior faucets are off and drained in colder climates to ensure the pipes will not freeze.

18. Firearms

If you are a firearms owner, please ensure you secure and store all firearms in accordance with the Firearms Act and Regulations or laws of your region.


19. Add some Security Features to your Home
Installing a monitored home security system or even just exterior lights that run on timers is a good way to ramp up security around the home and make your house safer whether you're around or not. One of the nice things about these features is that they're working when you're awake, asleep, on vacation or hosting an outdoor barbecue. They fade into the background as far as you're concerned, but still make your property less attractive to opportunistic burglars .

Some other security ideas to consider:

• Add a WiFi enabled Camera so that you can monitor your home over the Internet
• Use timers to run your your television. A darkened house for more than one night is a pretty good giveaway that no one is home.
• Secure sliding glass doors / windows by placing a metal rod or piece of broom stick in the track to prevent a uninvited guest from forcing the door open.
• Add motion activated security lights – these lights are inexpensive and easy to install
• Peek in your own windows. If you can spot enticing expensive electronics or jewelry, so can would-be burglars. If possible, move or obscure these items from view.
• Secure doors with glass panels with deadbolts on the inside that can only be opened with a key.
• Check the light bulbs in your outdoor light fixtures. Replace any that are burned out.
• Lock up jewelry, the deed to your home, wills, and any other valuables or sensitive documents in a fire-proof safe or safety deposit box at the bank.
• Install a remote camera system - Having security cameras that run constantly uses a lot of energy and video storage space. You can install a smart burglar alarm system instead, which activates when detecting movement and sends an alert to your smart phone or software on a laptop, allowing you to sign in and remotely view what's going on at your home.
• Burglars don’t want their faces to be seen. That’s why a well-placed security camera will scare burglars off. Add a visible sign showing that you have a security system is one way to do that. If they can’t tell you have a security system, burglars may still attempt to break in and cause property damage. 
• Don’t throw out boxes that show what valuable items you have in your home. Nothing says “valuable target” like seeing packaging for a 60” big screen TV sitting at the street.

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Keep track of all the keys to your home and make sure they're in safe hands. Locking your doors is important, but up to 50 percent of burglaries involve the use of a key. Don't hide a key outdoors in a protected spot, either. Burglars know the best hiding places better than you do.

20. Trailer / RV in the driveway

This is always a give away.  The RV in the driveway for weeks or months and the it is gone. That's a tough one if you have no where to store it but in your driveway.  Consider a storage facility to keep it - your neighbours will love you for it! 

Inspected by 42 Home Watch can watch your vacant or unoccupied home while you travel. Give Barry a call 613 799 3698 and arrange to meet to discuss your travel plans.  We specialize in the Ottawa area.  http://www.ib42.ca or http://www.inspectedby42.com or  http://www.kanatahomewatch.com

Image courtesy of [Stuart Miles] at FreeDigitalPhotos.net