A Worry-Free All Inclusive Vacation

An all-inclusive vacation is supposed to be your chance to relax – to let go of the stress that hounds your daily life.

But when those voices in your head (and we all have them!) start nagging you with questions like “did I lock the back door?” and “what if a package arrives while I’m gone and sits on my porch?“……it can really put a damper on your zoned-out-by-the-pool time.

But worry not! Our friends at HomeAdvisor.com have put together a terrific article on “Preparing Your Home for Your Time Away” (link below) so you can relax knowing that your home is as safe as it can be.

Key Tips:

• Walk around the outside of your house and yard, look for things that could become a problem while you’re gone – a loose fence panel, broken roof shingle, loose items on your patio that could get swept away in gusts of wind, or an unlatched screen door.
• If you’ll be gone more than a week, ask your neighbor to check in periodically to make sure there aren’t any issues that need to be taken care of immediately.
• Put your car in the garage to keep it safe from bad weather and curious critters, or if your area only has street parking, leave a spare key with your neighbors so they can move it in the event of an emergency.
• Unplug all appliances and electronics that don’t need to run while you’re away, but only unplug your Internet modem and wifi router IF they aren’t supporting your home security system. This is about more than just saving money — if a power surge occurs while you’re away, it could fry your appliances and electronics or even cause a malfunction. Sometimes a surge will cause a garage door to open on its own, which can make an empty house vulnerable to poor weather, curious animals, or even thieves looking for an easy target.
• Don’t forget to inspect your fridge for any food that might spoil while you’re gone!

Related:
Hiding your Valuables on an All-Inclusive Vacation

Bonus tip! In addition to the various travel apps for your smartphone, your home security system should have a smartphone app too (ADT does) that lets you monitor your home and receive alerts, giving you additional peace of mind while you’re away! Be sure to check out the Additional Resources below.

We’ve summarized the key items above and added a few more…but there’s much more in the article, it’s worth taking a few minutes to read, especially if you’re planning to be gone more than a few days.

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