Steps To Protect Your Home Before Leaving for Christmas Holidays

Are you celebrating the Christmas holidays at home or flying out? Many of us will take advantage of these holidays and fly to family or a new country. However, before you leave, there is much to do and steps to take to protect your home.

When going on holiday, there are always risks to your home when it is empty. There are many unfortunate situations you don’t want to return to. These risks can include home damage and break-ins. 

Fortunately, these steps will help protect your home and reduce the chances of these risks. Follow these steps before you leave for your Christmas holidays, and know your home is safe.

Steps To Protect Your Home Before You Leave

1. Don’t Tell Everyone About Your Holiday Plans

Going on a holiday is exciting; you want to tell everyone and post it everywhere. But this may not be the best way to protect your home. Posting that you are going on holiday and the dates you are away is basically advertising that your house is empty.

Neighbours, staff, and unwanted followers may overhear your news and take it as an opportunity to break in. Especially online, we never know who is following us and may know where you live. However, this doesn’t mean you don’t tell anyone – just double-think before sharing details online or out loud in your local area.

2. Schedule A Deep Clean

After a long holiday, one of the worst things is coming home to a dirty house. You will have the holiday blues, and a dirty home will make it worse. As soon as you’re back, you will have to start cleaning. The situation could be dirty clothes, a full bin, dirty dishes and more.

The best thing to do is clean before you leave, so you can relax when you return. Schedule a deep clean a few days before you go, take out the bins and wash all those dishes. Cleaning will also protect your home and you from diseases and unwanted bacteria. For example, it takes only three days for mould to form on plates and outdoor food.

You may also want to schedule a light cleaning after you are back to get rid of all that dust (depending on how long you are gone). 

3. Make Sure Valuables Are Locked Away

Our homes are full of costly valuables that would be devastating to lose. Even though we hope our homes are safe, you never know what could happen while you are gone. There is always a chance your home could be robbed by a criminal or even a trusted maid.

The best way to avoid this is to lock your valuables in a safe or hide them. Somewhere only you can access or find. Valuables are expensive to replace, and you must protect them before you leave for your holiday.

4. Home Insurance

Home insurance is one of the best ways to protect your home, whether you are at home or not. The insurance will cover your home and its contents against theft, loss, or damage. While you are away, the damage could be due to a storm or a freak accident. 

Additionally, if you rent your apartment, ensure you have tenant home insurance, as your landlord’s insurance will not cover your valuables. Home insurance is ideal if you are a victim of an unfortunate home damage or break-in.

However, home insurance will not cover damage, loss, or theft if the owner or tenant has not lived there for more than 30 days. Therefore, as long as your holiday is no longer than 30 days, the insurance will protect your home.

5. Turn Off All Electronics (Unplug)

Electrical issues are among the top 5 causes of house fires, especially when no one is home to fix them. A House fire is one of the worst things that could happen while you are on holiday. You must turn off or unplug most electrical appliances to protect your home from fires.

Turning off and unplugging electronics can reduce the chances of any fire or damage. Therefore, unplug your WIFI, turn off the lights, make sure every AC/fan is off, and all other devices are plugged in. The only electronic device that can be left on is the refrigerator.

Make a list of things to turn off and unplug a few days before you leave, and then follow it on the day you leave.

6. Give A Spare Key to A Trusted Friend

Someone should always have a spare key.  You should hand out at least one while you are away. Giving your key to someone could be a lifesaver when trying to protect your home.

The spare key could allow your friend or family to enter in case you think you left the stove on, if a parcel is delivered, or even if you lost your own key during the holiday. Especially if it is a long holiday, you could ask your friend to house-sit or water your plants occasionally.

Make sure you trust this person with everything; don’t just hand it to a friendly neighbour.

7. Lock Windows and Doors

Your bags are at the door, you are ready, and it’s time to start this Christmas holiday you have been waiting for. Slow down for a few minutes and ensure your home is fully closed off. To protect your home from unpredictable weather, especially in Hong Kong, you must ensure that every window is tightly locked.

A small, open gap during a typhoon (storm) can let in a lot of water, causing severe damage. After all windows are locked, just walk around again, and do a last check to make sure everything is off, unplugged, safe and locked. The final step to protect your home is to lock the main door and double-check that it is closed properly.

8. Don’t Worry Too Much

If you have followed the seven steps above, you have done your best to protect your home.  There is already a higher chance of your home being safe and clean when you return.

However, if there’s anything you’re stressed or anxious about, you can always call your friend with the spare key to check on it.

These steps, combined with home insurance, are a great way to ensure your home is safe and to enjoy your holiday stress-free.

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To Learn More about Home Insurance and protect your home while you are on holiday, contact Red Asia Insurance.