The definition of irony is, dreaming about a vacation when you’re at home and then worrying about your home when you’re on vacation. It’s between these extremes that you often find yourself.What’s the point of taking a vacation, if that time is spent worrying? It’s not like you can leave Macaulay Culkin behind to protect your home. Although there are no guarantees in life, there are safety measures. If taking these safety measures rests your soul, then so be it. After all, only the paranoid survive. Here is a list of 5 safety measures you can undertake before leaving for a vacation.
140 Ways to Get Robbed
One Christmas Eve, while my aunt was getting ready to go to church, there was a call which my cousin answered. The man on the phone asked my cousin if they were leaving for church and when he got a confirmation he disconnected the call. My cousin didn’t think much of it, until she and her mother returned home to find the house broken into. Moral of the story is, don’t propagate your activities, even on social networking sites.
Extra, Extra, Read All About It
Robbers know the house is empty when they see newspapers piling at your front door, or letters sticking out of your mailbox. You don’t have to be a genius to figure it out. Suspend your newspaper subscription for the duration of your leave or you might just make the news yourself. Call the postal office and ask them to hold off all your mail until you return or you could simply ask your neighbor to pick it up for you.
Lights On, Lights Off
Another telltale sign of an empty house is a 24×7 blackout. Conversely, keeping the lights on for the duration of your leave is a ruse robbers are well aware of and it’ll cost you a fortune in electricity bills. You can employ the help of a device that turns the lights on and off according to a fixed schedule. This will create the illusion that someone’s home.
Valuables are Saferinside a Safe
Before leaving for your trip, lock all your valuables inside a bank safety deposit box. If your house gets broken into during your absence, at least they won’t get away with anything valuable.Once you return, replace the stolen furniture and chalk the incident down as a victory for fate. Safety deposit boxes are a good place to store valuables, even under normal circumstances. Jewelry that you wear on special occasions is safer inside a bank locker.
Babysitting the House
The easiest way to eradicate your fearsis to have someone housesit for you. Ask a close relative or a trusted friend to stay at your house while you’re away. They can feed your pets and water yourplants, along with keeping watch over your house. This arrangement can save you money on expensive security systems and keep your worries at bay. You can return the favor by housesitting for your friend or relative when they’re out of town.
Following these safety precautions will keep your house safe, even while you’re away. Then it’s just a matter of getting on a plane and flying off into the sunset.