Securing your Home Before Travelling

The old adage that it is better to be safe than sorry is a key tenet to taking care of your home before going away for an extended period of time.

Whether you’re going on a trip close to home, across the country or abroad, it is paramount that you prepare by securing your property to avoid against theft or burglary.

Here is a checklist of what to do:

Inform people that you know and trust what your itinerary will be. If you know exactly when and where you plan to be, provide them with details how you can be reached in case of an emergency.
If you have a mobile phone, provide the number to anyone who will want to contact you, either for personal or business reasons.
Contact your insurance company to determine if you need added coverage for travelling out of the country. This applies not only to auto insurance, but medical, too.
If you have a home answering service, indicate you are unable to come to the phone but will reply as soon as possible. Do not indicate you are going on vacation.
Suspend mail delivery until your return or have someone retrieve it for you. The same thing applies to newspaper delivery.
If you own only one car and it will be part of the trip, ask a relative, neighbor or friend if they can leave their car in your driveway.
Use an automated light system rather than leaving the lights on all day and night.
Consider paying someone to live in your home. There are companies that offer professional, bondable services. If you do so, inform family members of neighbors you trust that somebody will be in the home in your absence, so they won’t become suspicious if they see somebody they don’t know entering and exiting your home.
Go through your wallet and only take the credit cards and or other items in there that you will need while away. Lock up what you are leaving at home.
Check with your credit card company if they need to know where and when you will be in a certain country. This may prevent an embarrassing situation if they refuse to accept a charge.