Your Home Value Search For Homes Zip Code Trends

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

How to Keep Your Home Safe While on Vacation



Looking to buy or sell a home in Houston, TX? Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call us at (832) 428-6453 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

Summer time is here in Houston. With the kids on summer vacation and the weather heating up, you or somebody you know may be heading out on vacation soon. While you are relaxing on vacation, the last thing you want to do is worry about  what is going on at your home. I want to share with you some helpful tips that will keep your home safe  and make your vacation that much more enjoyable. Here are 5 great tips for keeping your home safe.
  1. Stop The Social Media Updates
    • As social media sites have become more popular, a rising trend we have seen is people posting on these sites where they are going, who they are with, and how long they will be gone. While sharing memories with all of your family and friends online is a great thing, advertising that you are going to be vacant from your home is not. You may want to hold off on this until you get home.
  2. Hold Your Mail
    • Nothing advertises that nobody is home better than stacked up mail or newspapers on your front porch or in your mailbox. A simple call to the post office or newspaper to put a hold on your mail is a simple fix for an obvious sign.
  3. Call Police Authorities
    • If you live in a small town, a smart move would be to notify the police that you will be out of town so that they can keep an eye out for your home on their patrol. This can really scare home intruders away and make them think twice.
  4. Notify Your Neighbors
    • Let your neighbors know that you will be out of town. They are around your house every day and will be the first line of defense against home break-ins or vandalism. 
  5. Install a Float Switch
    • There have been clients in the past who have had their air conditioning drain back up, which results in them returning to an absolute mess. Installing a float switch on the drain pan in your air conditioner is a simple, cheap fix that can save you a lot of headaches.

Both the weather and market are heating up, and I will be back in a few weeks with another market update. I hope you have a great start to your summer  and as always, please give me a call if you have any questions at all.