So, Your House Will be Empty While You're Away!

Excitement is in the air, and the RV is almost packed. Have you forgotten anything in your haste? Sometimes people are so anxious to get into their RV and head south to warmer climes that they forget to look after their house. It's great to have a holiday but it wouldn't be nice to return to a house damaged by weather or crime because of your neglect. Start planning for your trip well ahead of time so you aren't acting in haste.

What are some things that need doing?

• Ask your insurance company how often your property needs to be checked. Some require an inspection every few days, others don't require any. You should make arrangements with a dependable person to check your property frequently inside and out to help avoid unexpected problems.
• Turn off electricity to your water softener, water heater and dryer, and any other heat producing appliances such as the kitchen stove and toaster. If the main power to these items is off, they can't mysteriously turn on. It's quick and easy to unplug all your appliances.
• Unless there is some special reason to keep the water supply on in your house, shut it off where it enters the house. If you are on a well system, turn off the water at the tank, and turn off the switch to the water pump. If there is a crack or leak in a water line it won't be leaking water while you are gone.
• If you don't turn off the water supply, then turn off the supply to the dishwasher and clothes washer. Hoses on washing machines and dishwashers rate highly in the causes of very expensive water damage. If you've got family coming in that might use these and forget to turn off the water, it would be cheap insurance to replace any hoses that are getting older. Have your person check for water leaks.
• Set your thermostat no lower than 55 F. Have your person check inside to see if the heat is on, and that there are no fuel odours around the furnace that might indicate a leak in a fuel line.
• Before you leave lock your windows, and doors. Don't forget your basement windows. Many people have grills bolted over the basement windows since they are an easy place to break into the house. If you use these, make sure they are openable from inside so that no family member gets trapped behind them in a fire.
• Have motion sensors on your outside lights, and keep shrubbery from hiding points of access to your house.
• Cancel newspapers, and have someone pick up mail and flyers that keep on coming.
• Arrange to have as many of your regular deposits and bill payments as possible done automatically. Then you won't have to worry about them not being paid while you are gone.
• Make arrangements to have the snow removed so the house looks lived in.
• You can purchase a light timer that will control several circuits in the house at once. You can set it to turn on lights in different rooms at selected times, and also have it turn on a radio. It can also be used to turn on ice melters that you have placed on your roof to keep valleys and eaves free of ice.
• Unplug the TV. These 'always on' devices consume electricity all the time. There is no use wasting the electricity that they consume when you are away.
• Have a monitored security system installed. As well as motion sensors, and window and door sensors, you can add a smoke sensor, and a moisture sensor.
• If you depend upon a sump pump to keep the basement dry, make sure it's in good condition, and there is some sort of backup in case of power disruption. Perhaps you could use a water level detector that would call your security company.
• Photograph your valuables, and mark them to make it easier to make an insurance claim to cover their loss, and to help the police return them to you. Put the photographs onto CD's and save a copy in your safety deposit box. Don't use your home safe. It will not protect film or CD's in a hot fire.
• Make up a check-off list and mark out the items as you prepare to leave.