Originally posted on https://www.my-travelmonkey.com/before-you-travel/

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If you and your family like to travel a lot, much like ourselves, then you’ll be leaving your home quite a bit over the weekend and school holidays. And as much as it’s brilliant to be away on some kind of adventure, it does mean your home is unattended for long periods – especially with the long summer break coming up.

But whether you rent your home or own it, it will be left unattended while you are away travelling but the good news is that you can take certain precautions and put plans in place before you go, that make sure that your home is safe and secure while you are away.

HOUSE ALARM

For starters, if you don’t have one, then getting an alarm for your house is essential. If you already have one, then check that it is all in working order. Plus, it’s a good idea to let the alarm company know that you are going to be away, as there will be no one home – which means there will be a faster response from the alarm company if the worse should happen. They will also be able to call the police on your behalf, rather than calling and checking in with your first. Also, let the company know the details of a local contact if you’re going to be out of town for some time.

SET YOUR WATER HEATER

There are experts that don’t recommend turning off your water heater when you go away. But of course, you don’t want to have it all switched on, especially over the summer months. So check your water heating system, as there are many that have holiday modes. Then you can set the heating and water onto the holiday mode in order to be more efficient. If you don’t have a holiday mode, then turn down the temperature a couple of degrees, which can also save money and energy.

LOW MAINTENANCE GARDEN

If you away for quite a while or will be away a lot over the year, then making sure you have a low maintenance garden will make all the difference. If people see an overgrown lawn, bushes, dead plants and untidy flower beds, it then becomes more obvious that someone isn’t home to keep up with the garden. So over the summer, where grass can grow a lot each day, you might consider something like an artificial lawn alternative from somewhere like New Lawn. Other solutions include having paving stones laid, as well as using evergreen plants or succulents, that don’t need too much watering.

LIGHT TIMER

In summer this is less of a problem, as there is so much more daylight. But if you want to give the illusion of being home, especially at night, then it can be a good idea to have a timer for your lights. Then your lamps will come on at the programmed time, and switch off afterwards. If you have a friend you trust, then you could always have them come in to switch off the main lights, as well as bringing things like your mail.