A vacation is no fun if you’re constantly worrying about your house, especially if you’re going away for a long period of time. Of course, when you go on a holiday, you don’t expect anything to go bad at home while you’re gone. However, it’s always best to be prepared. Follow these home safety tips and give yourself some peace of mind that you have taken all the necessary precautions to keep your home safe.

Unplug electronics

Make sure to unplug most of the appliances that don’t need to run while you’re away, especially the small ones like your toaster ovens and hair dryer. Not only will this prevent your appliances from getting damaged in case of a power surge, it will also prevent fire. Unplugging everything will also save you a few pesos on your electricity bill.

Create an illusion of someone home

A dark house is very attractive to burglars because it looks uninhabited. To help create the illusion that someone is home, utilize the timer in your radio or lights, so that they will turn on and off at random times. It’s important that the timers don’t have a definite schedule so that it will fool anyone observing the house. If you can get timers which are controlled by an app on your cellphone, that would be the best option.

Safekeep your valuables

Valuable items like jewelry, and sensitive documents such as title deeds and wills must be stored inside a fire-proof safe. In case burglars get in your house, at least they won’t be able to access the really important stuff.

Turn off your water supply

For particularly long trips, it would be best to shut off the main water supply to help eliminate the possibility of leaking or bursting pipes. Unsure how? There are a lot of video tutorials online, like this one.

Delegate someone to receive deliveries

Piles of mail and newspaper deliveries will accumulate the longer that you’re away. While you can request for your mails to be temporarily stopped, it is not advisable because the couriers will also know that you’re not home. Ask a trusted neighbor to pick up your mail and newspaper to avoid raising suspicions that your home is unoccupied. An added perk for those who live in a condominium is the availability of a lobby wherein your mail and other deliveries can temporarily be placed.

Inform a trusted neighbor

Notify your closest neighbors that you will be away. If you’re truly comfortable with them, you may even leave them a key, so that they can enter your house in case of emergency. It’s simpler for condo residents; just inform your building manager or your security office that you will be on vacation for a while.

Don’t divulge your plans on social media

While it’s tempting to talk about your vacation itinerary on your social media accounts, it’s best not to do so, especially if you’re traveling with your whole family and people are aware that your home will be unguarded. Beware of checking in and posting status updates such as, “Just arrived at the airport!” Observe caution when talking about your trip online. The less information you put out there, the less likely it is to reach the wrong people.

Observing these tips will ensure that there will much be less chance of a home robbery while you’re on holiday. Nevertheless, if anything untoward happens to your residence, at least you will be better equipped to handle the situation.