How to Protect Your Home While You’re on Vacation
Finally, it’s time to travel. Get out of town. Enjoy a nice, long vacation. Go somewhere and maybe even stay awhile. If you’re considering a scenic vacation route, it’s important to consider the risks of leaving your home vacant, especially for an extended period of time. Taylor Rash, a Texas Farm Bureau Insurance Agent in Abilene, outlines a few simple steps to protect your home while on vacation.
1. Phone a Friend
“Really, the best thing would be to have a friend come to the house or check on it every day or every other day, just to make sure everything is still good,” Rash says. However, if someone can’t stay at your house, there are other easy steps to follow.
2. Check Locks and Lights
It might seem somewhat trivial but locking your doors and leaving lights on might make a difference, Rash says. “The little things of just making sure everything is locked up before you leave, making sure, if you have valuables out, that you put them in a safe location, [and] leaving a light on.” Investing in smart-home apps and automatic or motion-sensor lights are some easy ways to protect your home while you’re away, Rash says.
3. Pause Your Posts
Even with locking doors and turning on lights, it’s not difficult these days for someone to figure out where you are via social media. “A lot of people, when they go on vacation, will start posting pictures that they’re on vacation for a week — and that leaves the door open for things to happen at their house like theft and vandalism,” Rash says. “Sometimes, it can be complete strangers, and sometimes, it can be friends or family. Unfortunately, you never know.”
Given this risk, it’s worth pausing your social channels or limiting the type of information you share while you’re away. Consider the safety of your home, your cherished belongings, and your valuables. Posting vacation photos can wait until you get home.
4. Verify Your Security
Ultimately, a solid security system will be the best defense against intruders. Before you leave town, notify your security company, check the batteries and camera angles, and “make sure your bill is up to date so that it doesn’t all of a sudden go to no coverage while you’re gone,” Rash says. Good security systems play an important role in home safety, and this is when you need them most. Read our complete guide to home security here.
It also doesn’t hurt to notify your Texas Farm Bureau Insurance Agent of your vacation plans. They will know your specific policy needs and can walk you through additional precautions to ensure your home is covered and protected while you’re gone. Protect your packages from porch thieves while you’re away.
Coverage and discounts are subject to qualifications and policy terms and may vary by situation. © 2021 Texas Farm Bureau Insurance
