Keep your home protected while traveling: 4 Essential Tips

12/6/2016 (Permalink)

Keep your home protected while traveling: 4 Essential Tips

Murphy’s Law when traveling: “Anything that can go wrong will go wrong, while you’re traveling away from home”. Having to return from a memorable trip to learn that something has seriously gone wrong at home can be distressing. But following is a list of essential tips that will allow you to be stress free while you sit back and enjoy your getaway!

1. Keep curtains open!

You may think that leaving the curtains closed may prevent others from peeking inside your home. However, it is recommended that you leave some of your curtains opened (make sure to keep expensive items out of sight). If your curtains are unusually closed for a long period of time it could become obvious that no one is home.

2. Keep lights on or off?

Leaving the lights on in your home while you’re away may end up costing you more than your mortgage! It is recommended that you purchase an automatic light switch timer so that your lights will switch on and off at certain times during the day/night making it appear as though someone is actually home.  

3. Pull the plug!

It is recommended that you unplug all appliances including, your TV, toaster oven, etc. while you’re away. This may help prevent a power surge which can cause a fire hazard.

4. Piping

This applies to those that reside in very cold regions.  Pipes may be in danger of freezing so it is recommended that you have someone check in on your faucets while you’re away. If very little to no water comes out when turning the faucets on this is an indication that the pipes may be frozen! Take the time to make sure your pipes are properly insulated to avoid this from happening. Finally, show your key-holder (friend/neighbor) the location of the water main shut-off in case a pipe breaks.

These preventative measures only take a few  minutes to complete and can help you keep your home safe from broken pipes(flood hazard), home invasions(property loss/damage), power surges(fire hazard), and more in your absence. In the event that you suffer a loss such as these, please do not hesitate to contact SERVPRO of Hancock Park/Hollywood at 323-545-6115 for all of your restoration needs!