10 Ways to protect your residence and valuables left behind when you go on vacation.

1. Leave a low-wattage light burning,and attach timers to several lights in different areas of the house, arranging for them to turn on and off at different times.
2. Turn on a radio to a talk station.
3. Arrange to have someone cut your grass.
4. Place a Vacation Mail Hold with your post office, and temporarily stop delivery of your newspaper.
5. Have a friend or neighbor house-sit, or hire someone to check your residence regularly to check plumbing leaks, furnaces, and any potential structural problems.
6. Give a reliable person your itinerary, and contact information while on vacation.
7. Prepare a written record of your credit card numbers and telephone numbers of the credit card companies, and keep it in a separate location from the credit cards.
8. Arrange in advance for pet care, as kennels are booked solid during peak vacation periods.
9. Check the locks on all windows and doors before leaving.
10. Don't leave a spare key under the doormat or in a flower pot, or on a window ledge.

    + Password Protect Your Computer, and Turn The Power Off +

Source: "Travel Smarts, Getting The Most For Your Travel Dollar"
by Herbert Teison and Nancy Dunnan, 1996

[Top]     [Back]