Hello! I hope you're doing well and staying warm. As you may know, yesterday was the last day of hurricane season; and yes, we're all glad it's over. In this weeks blog I have some tips on protecting your home when you travel.

1. Turn off all appliances when you leave. Don't leave the dryer, washing machine or dish washer running as you leave the house. A hose can break or fire can start and no one will be home to turn off the appliance. Water Damage claims are among the most common when people are on vacation.

2. Set Alarms. Remember to turn on your burglar or central station alarms when you leave. Also, pick a neighbor and tell them you're going out of town and ask them to keep an eye on your home. A mistake people often make is to tell everyone they're going on vacation, and even announce it on Facebook. Sounds like an invitation to a burglar, right?

3. Turn off the water to your hoses. Take a few minutes and walk around the exterior of your house and make sure all the hoses are unhooked and water is turned off. Don't forget the interior of your house either; it's never a bad idea to turn off the water supply to your washing machine or dishwasher (if reachable) just to be sure there won't be any leaks.

4. Timers for Lights. Invest in an automatic timer for indoor and outdoor lights so they go on and off at random times, so people think you're home.

5. Close and lock all doors and windows. Common sense, right? However, in the rush around preparing to leave, it's not unusual to leave a back or side door unlocked.

6. Stop your mail and newspaper delivery, or have a friend pick it up for you. Nothing is a trigger for people knowing you're out of town like a pile of newspapers in your driveway. Contact your local post office and newspaper carrier, sometimes there is small charge for this.

Lastly, have safe and happy holidays!

Respectfully,

Lynnette R. Nester
Community Manager


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