Hire a House-Sitter
The most efficient way to make sure your house is safe is to have someone you trust stay in it while you’re gone. You may be lucky enough to have a trustworthy relative who’ll move in temporarily and watch over the house. If not, there are services you can use for house-sitting and pet-sitting while you’re away.
Pause Your Mail Service
When you’re leaving for more than a couple of days, it’s a good idea to contact your local post office to stop mail delivery temporarily. They can hold mail from 3 to 30 days. You can even submit a stop mail request online. This is a free feature courtesy of the United States Postal Service.
Discontinue Newspaper Delivery
A pile of unread newspapers on the doorstep is a clich© giveaway for a home that’s vacant. Stopping the newspaper when you leave town for a while is an easy detail to accomplish before vacation. That is, If you’re still reading print newspapers.
Make Your Home appear occupied
An occupied home looks lived in. Lights go on and off, and cars come and go. However, when you’re gone, everything halts. To help create the illusion that someone is home, invest in timers that turn on the interior lights for a few hours every evening. It helps to send the message that everything is proceeding normally at your house.
Don’t Share on Social Media
Proceed with caution when you talk about your trip on social media outlets. Your Facebook page isn’t the best place to announce that you’ll be away from home for a month. Being aware of your surroundings when you discuss your trip in public and even at work is a good idea. Make sure that your children are discreet, too. Leaving that information off the internet until after your trip helps keep it from reaching the wrong ears and eyes.
