Summer Vacation Home Safety Tips
When packing for your upcoming summer travels, be sure to add peace of mind to the checklist by preparing your home before vacation. As Public Insurance Adjusters we have been involved in many claims for damage or loss that has occurs while a family has been away on vacation. Follow these tips to avoid damage or loss.
Pull the plug on household appliances: Even when turned off, electronics use power if they are plugged in, so unplug any appliance that does not need to be plugged in while you are away in order to avoid power surges. This includes lamps, televisions, computers, a toaster, microwave and so on. This will not only save you money on your electricity bill it will also save you the potential headache of coming home to fried circuits!
Prevent water damage while you’re away: You may be looking forward to vacationing on a beach, but no one wants to come back to water filled living room. Shut off your water heater and turn off the water valves to your washing machine, dishwasher, sinks and toilets.
Forgo foul odors and mold from welcoming your back: Leave the doors to rooms and closets open to keep the air in your home circulating while you’re away. Make sure the laundry is done and the fridge is free food that will rot. Place a fresh, opened box of baking soda in the fridge to absorb odors even after removing food that can rot while you’re away. Even if these things are only mildly smelly they will start to really stink if left undone.
Don’t tip off home invaders: As excited as you are to share your vacation plans with your friends, don’t do it on any social media platforms. Posting vacations dates and plans is an open invitation for burglars to pop in for an unwanted visit . As much as we love to share our photos in live time, wait and post your vacation photos when you get home. Not only will this keep home invaders at bay it will help you stay in the moment of your vacation instead of checking to see who “liked” your latest post.
Be careful what you say on your voicemail message and auto-response email as well. Better to say your currently unavailable than that you’re away. Another helpful tip is to pack up your car inside your garage.
Do notify the right people: If you planning a short getaway than this isn’t necessarily, but if you’ll be gone for a week or longer let your neighborhood watch and potentially the police know that you’ll be away and request that they drive by your home while on patrol.
Another person to notify of a vacated home is your insurance agent. While most policies will cover a certain amount of theft and/or vandalism, they also have a limits and restrictions. One of those is “neglect” or “abandonment of property” so be sure that your time away is covered by talking your insurance agent before you leave. If you’re going to gone for longer than the amount of time allotted according your policy, ask about purchasing an endorsement to your existing policy or any additional options that he/she can recommend.
Set the stage: As is with any performance lighting and curtains are a key component to pulling off the show smoothly. Leave your blinds and curtains slightly open and schedule your lights to go on and off either via a timer that can be set automatically according a scheduled program or via a smart phone app that can be controlled remotely.
Wishing you a happy and safe summer season ahead! But if you should come home to damage or a loss make sure to contact Reliable Claims Adjusting. We are your advocate throughout the claims process and will navigate all of the complicated red tape involved. Contact us today for a free property and claim valuation.
