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Top 5 tips for snowbirds: Protect your home while away

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SECURA Insurance |
House

As cold weather moves in, a southern migration will feel even better if you are confident your home is safe while you're away. Start preparations early and work from a list to help you remember everything necessary to protect your home and property.

Make your home look lived in.

  • Set timers to control lights and a radio to confuse would-be burglars.
  • Have a trusted neighbor collect any deliveries and check the inside of your home periodically.
  • Cancel newspapers and forward your mail.
  • Forward telephone calls and turn off the phone’s ringer so these don’t give away your absence.
  • Arrange for thorough snow removal. Encourage a neighbor to park in your driveway.

Secure property.

  • Give police your travel plans and contact information.
  • Put small valuables in a safe-deposit box.
  • Put outdoor furniture and grills in a locked garage.

Reduce energy consumption and fire hazards.

  • Unplug electronics and cleaned refrigerators and freezers, with doors propped open.

Prevent water damage.

  • Clean gutters.
  • Turn off water supply to house if heating system allows.
  • Turn off and drain water heater.
  • Disconnect dishwasher and laundry machines. Winterize according to manufacturer instructions.
  • Drain and blow out pipes. Pour RV antifreeze down each drain to fill traps.
  • If water must stay on, open cabinet doors that conceal plumbing to allow circulation of warmer air and prevent frozen pipes.
  • Allow your trusted neighbor to monitor house temperature using a wireless outdoor thermometer; the sensor goes in your house and the receiver stays in your neighbor’s. Or, use a red bulb in a lamp connected to a temperature-sensitive outlet to signal your neighbor of dangerous temperature drops.

Consider harnessing technology.

  • Smartphone apps allow you to monitor your home and control lighting, temperature, and other functions from anywhere you have a cellular or Wi-Fi signal.