Simple Tips to Secure Your Home While You’re Away for Summer Vacation
Dania Beach, FL (PRWEB) June 13, 2014 -- Now that school is out, many families are planning to head out of town for their summer vacations. But while they’re making plans about where to go, what to see and what items to pack, they may not know how to adequately prepare their homes for extended periods away.
Residents who live in high-rise buildings, condominiums or master-planned communities managed by professional property management companies can consult with their property managers about home preparation strategies specific to their communities. But even if your community is not professionally managed, there are a number of guidelines that pertain to all types of properties. FirstService Residential, North America’s leading property management company, offers residents some useful tips to keep their homes secure and well maintained while they’re away. Highlights include:
Don’t Make It Obvious No One Is Home
• To discourage burglars, do not pack up your car in open public view.
• Place your mail and newspaper service on hold while you are gone.
• Set your answering machine to answer on the second ring, and turn down your ringer volume.
• Avoid publicizing your upcoming travel plans on social media such as Facebook or Twitter, regardless of your account privacy settings, to avoid broadcasting you will be out of town.
Keep Energy Costs Down
• Use a timer to set your lights and TVs to turn on and off at appropriate times.
• Keep your air conditioner on, but set at a higher temperature (unless you are leaving pets at home) so your compressor turns on when temperatures rise.
• Turn off the circuit breaker or gas valve to your hot water heater, or turn it to a lower setting.
Make Sure Your Property is Maintained
• Keep all third-party lawn, landscaping and pool maintenance services on schedule to prevent your home from becoming untidy or unkempt.
• Ask a neighbor to park a car in your driveway and retrieve mail or newspapers, if you haven’t suspended these services.
• Ask a friend or neighbor to pet sit in your home, rather than boarding pets in a kennel, so there is activity in your home.
Read the comprehensive list of tips to keep your home secure while you’re on vacation.
About FirstService Residential
FirstService Residential is a subsidiary of FirstService Corporation, a global leader in the rapidly growing real estate services sector, one of the largest markets in the world. As a leading property management company in North America, FirstService Residential oversees more than 6,500 residential and commercial associations including 1.5 million residential units and over 50 million square feet of commercial space across 21 U.S. states and three provinces in Canada. The company has more than 12,000 employees driving local market expertise and manages in excess of $6 billion in annual budgets.
Mary Sudasassi, FirstService Residential, http://www.fsresidential.com/corporate, +1 305-448-6163, [email protected]
Share this article