{"id":2440,"date":"2016-06-10T08:23:26","date_gmt":"2016-06-10T12:23:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dankrell.com\/blog\/?p=2440"},"modified":"2016-06-10T08:23:26","modified_gmt":"2016-06-10T12:23:26","slug":"vacation-home-preparation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dankrell.com\/blog\/2016\/06\/10\/vacation-home-preparation\/","title":{"rendered":"Vacation home preparation"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"vacation<\/a>
Vacation home preparation (infographic from Tower Hill Insurance thig.com)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Summer vacation home preparation is much like preparing it for the winter or severe weather<\/a>.\u00a0 Much of the plan is conventional wisdom and incorporates penny pinching advice intended to prevent a potential hazard.\u00a0 The goal is to anticipate and minimize problems while your away by safeguarding the home\u2019s systems and implementing a security plan.<\/p>\n

Many electrical items we use are considered to be \u201czombie\u201d appliances; meaning they use electricity even when not in use.\u00a0 Unplugging such items as the toaster, Keurig, and other small appliances that won\u2019t be in use while you\u2019re away will conserve energy (and may save you a few pennies).\u00a0 More so, shut down (and unplug) your computers and printers to not just conserve energy, but to also thwart hackers <\/a>while your away.<\/p>\n

Some people play with their home\u2019s thermostat to save some money.\u00a0 The thought is that by setting the thermostat temperature much higher than usual, the air conditioner will not run as much (or at all).\u00a0 However, if you have a basement or cellar, you might consider setting the thermostat temperature to a more reasonable temperature to prevent mold<\/a> from growing in your dark and humid basement.<\/p>\n

Some shut off the water to the house to prevent a water hazard<\/a>.\u00a0 However, shutting off valves at faucets, fixtures, or appliances may be a better plan if your home has a sprinkler system.\u00a0 And to prevent someone taking advantage of your absence and wash a car or two in your driveway, you might also consider shutting off the valves to the exterior hose bibs.<\/p>\n

Besides protecting your home\u2019s systems, think about home security<\/a> too!\u00a0 First, refrain from posting your plans on social media.\u00a0 Although you may want to inform your Facebook friends and Twitter followers of your itinerary, broadcasting vacation plans in such a way could also get the attention of a would be criminal looking for their next break-in.<\/p>\n

Although storing your valuables in a safe place could minimize loss, consider implementing crime deterrents as well.\u00a0 Installing motion activated lights on the home\u2019s exterior may deter activity around the home at night; while electronic devices, such as the camera-doorbell, can notify you if there is any activity around the house during the day.<\/p>\n

You may also consider implementing some common tactics to make it seem as if you never went on vacation.\u00a0 Having a few lights on a timer will appear as if someone is turning lights on and off.\u00a0 Besides having a neighbor pick up the mail and newspaper (many stop their paper and mail while they\u2019re away), have them park in your driveway to make it seem as if someone is coming and going to and from the home.\u00a0 Additionally, have a neighbor or friend check in on the home regularly to ensure it is secure.\u00a0 Depending on the length of your vacation, they may drop in a few times, picking up any packages left at the door and adjusting the thermostat as necessary.<\/p>\n

A summer vacation home preparation idea if your home is on the market<\/a> – consider restricting showings to be by appointment only to ensure the house remains secure.\u00a0 Talk to your agent about how to contact you in case of an emergency, your agent may check in on the home regularly too.\u00a0 Don\u2019t worry about missing out on a great offer on your home \u2013 if you will have email access, your agent can send you any offers and have you sign them electronically.<\/h2>\n

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\nDisclaimer<\/a>. This article is not intended to provide nor should it be relied upon for legal and financial advice. Readers should not rely solely on the information contained herein, as it does not purport to be comprehensive or render specific advice. Readers should consult with an attorney regarding local real estate laws and customs as they vary by state and jurisdiction. Using this article without permission is a violation of copyright laws.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Summer vacation home preparation is much like preparing it for the winter or severe weather.\u00a0 Much of the plan is conventional wisdom and incorporates penny pinching advice intended to prevent a potential hazard.\u00a0 The goal is to anticipate and minimize problems while your away by safeguarding the home\u2019s systems and implementing a security plan. Many … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “Vacation home preparation”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[178,419,247,84,568,13,1043],"tags":[887,926,712,838,780,797,1044],"class_list":["post-2440","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-home-maintenance","category-home-owner","category-home-safety","category-home-security","category-preparedness","category-real-estate","category-vacation","tag-home-maintenance","tag-home-owner","tag-home-safety-2","tag-home-security","tag-preparedeness","tag-real-estate","tag-vacation"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1VZLf-Dm","jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dankrell.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2440","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dankrell.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dankrell.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dankrell.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dankrell.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2440"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/dankrell.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2440\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2449,"href":"https:\/\/dankrell.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2440\/revisions\/2449"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dankrell.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2440"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dankrell.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2440"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dankrell.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2440"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}