(PRWEB) November 1, 2005 -- Just in time for the holidays, the Home Improvement experts at JustAnswer.com are reminding homeowners to plan ahead for securing their home during holiday vacations.
“ By following this simple checklist, homeowners can enjoy their vacations without worrying about problems that might arise at hom... ”
"Traveling during the holidays can be fun for the whole family, but, before you pack your bags, be sure you've taken steps to make sure your home will be safe while you're gone," advised JustAnswer.com CEO Andy Kurtzig. To help prepare homes for vacation time, JustAnswer offered this simple checklist:
1. Pause newspaper delivery service. Call newspaper circulation departments and have them put a hold on daily or weekly delivery. Newspapers stacked at the door alert a would-be thief that no one is home.
2. Let the mail carrier know. Fill out a form at the local post office to hold mail during your absence. You can determine ahead of time what day your accumulated mail should be delivered, or you can choose to pick up the mail upon your return.
3. Lock it up tightly. Lock all windows and doors, even windows that are upstairs.
4. Set timers on lights or televisions. Purchase and use an inexpensive timer on at least one television and one lamp. Set it to come on for a few hours at night so that it appears that someone is home.
5. Don’t leave a key hidden outside. Instead, give a key to a trusted neighbor or family member so that they can enter the home in the event of an emergency. If your alarm sounds, your hot water heater springs a leak and floods your home or there is a fire, you want someone to be able to gain access to your home.
6. Tidy up outside. In warmer climates, mow the grass before leaving. In colder climates, shovel the sidewalk and driveway. For homeowners who plan to be away for more than a week, make arrangements for someone to attend to these tasks.
7. Have someone take the trash and recycling to the curb. Have a neighbor or a family member move trash out to the street on garbage collection day. Have them return the bins to the home on the same day.
8. Store jewelry in a safe place. Move jewelry and other precious items to a safety deposit box during any prolonged absence. In fact, consider this type of safe storage for important items any time of year, not just vacation time.
9. Provide alarm company with updated information. Give the alarm company alternate contact information during your absence. Be sure that someone can be reached even though you may not be available.
10. Unplug. Unplug computers and other appliances that might be damaged in the event of a power surge. These items are expensive to replace and can be rendered useless after a lightening strike.
11. Clean out the refrigerator. Discard any leftovers and perishables. Be sure to take the trash out as well.
12. Don’t change the answering machine message. The fewer people that know about your vacation the better. Check messages from the road at regular intervals instead.
"By following this simple checklist, homeowners can enjoy their vacations without worrying about problems that might arise at home," said Kurtzig. "There's enough hustle, bustle and stress at holiday time without worrying about your empty home."
The community of JustAnswer.com experts is available 24/7 to answer any type of question… even during the holidays. Whether the question concerns cars, computers, health, home, law, pets or taxes, Just Answer has the answer! For more information, visit www.justanswer.com.
