Keep Your Home Safe While You’re On Vacation

Summer is prime time for going on vacation and no one wants to come home from a relaxing vacation and find storm, water, fire, or mold damage! Whether you’re depending on a house-sitter to keep your home safe while you’re gone or leaving it empty, it’s important to follow these home safety tips.

Security

Lock All Doors and Windows

It sounds obvious, but you may not realize that a door you rarely use or a window in a guest room is unlocked. Take a few minutes to check that all windows are secured and every door is locked before you leave your home.

Motion Detecting Lights Or Smart Lighting

Motion-detecting lights are an easy security feature to use outdoors. If you have this type of lighting, be sure all the bulbs are working properly. If you have smart lighting, adjust your lights to a timer to keep your home from looking vacant while you’re away.

Arm Your Security System

In addition to making sure your home’s security system is armed while you’re away, be sure to add any window decals and signs to your yard that advertise your home is protected.

Adjust Your Thermostat

While you don’t need to cool or heat empty rooms, you don’t want to completely shut off your HVAC system. Most experts recommend leaving your air conditioning set no higher than 84 degrees and no lower than 60 degrees while you’re on vacation.

Home Damage Prevention

Disconnect Electronics

Summer is prime time for electrical storms, so you never know when a power outage or power surge could happen. Before you leave on vacation, unplug electronics such as computers, televisions, gaming systems, fans, toasters, coffeemakers, etc.

This is one of the easiest home safety tips to complete and can have a huge impact on your home’s safety while you’re away.

Tidy Up Your Lawn

If you’re going to be gone longer than a week, make sure to mow the lawn and check your home’s exterior. Move any fallen branches and other debris that could scratch your siding or cause damage in a wind or thunderstorm. Now is also a great time to get any tree branches hanging too close to your roof trimmed!

Consider Turning Off Your Water

If you’re going to be on vacation for an extended time and no one will be living in your home, consider turning off your home’s main water supply valve. This will prevent possible water and mold damage from leaky pipes if something happens while you’re away from your home. 

Also, adding an internet-connected water sensor near areas of potential water sources can also save your vacation!  

Call Lake City Restoration today and ask how you can get a free water sensor if you’ve had a water loss.

Check Smoke Detectors

Be sure to check the batteries in every smoke and carbon monoxide detector in your home. You should regularly check them each month, but make sure they’re in working order before you leave for vacation!

Switch Your Water Heater To “Vacation Mode”

If you have a newer water heater, you likely have a preprogrammed vacation mode option. It will keep your water right around 50 degrees but won’t heat beyond that as no one needs to use hot water in an empty home. 

This is also important if you shut your water off while on vacation, be sure to switch the mode on your water heater as well. 

Clear Out Gutters And Drains

We get a lot of intense rainstorms this time of year, so making sure your storm drains and gutters are clear of leaves, sticks, and other debris is important. If rainwater has nowhere to go, it can sit and seep into your home instead of draining the way it should.

Lake City Restoration Is Here To Help!

If the worst happens and you come home from vacation to find your house or property damaged, we’re here for you. Following these home safety tips is important, but sometimes damage to your home happens despite your best efforts.

You can reach one of our emergency technicians 24/7 and we can get started on your restoration right away!

This blog post was originally published in 2021 and has been updated to include the most relevant, recent information.