Creative Commons Licence
Going travelling is an exciting time, but there’s a lot of preparation to be done before you jet off. While getting away from it all is a good excuse to forget about everything happening at home, you need to make sure that everything is safe and ready for when you do finally come home. To help you with your preparations, here are some tips for getting your house in order before you travel.
Make sure your bills are covered
You don’t want to be worrying about paying bills while you’re away travelling. Many companies will let you pay your bills in advance if you call them up. Another option, of course, is to set aside money in an account that you won’t be using while you’re away and have your bills come from that. You could consider renting out your home while you’re away as a way to make sure your mortgage is covered and that your bills are seen to as well.
Create a sensible travel budget
Unless you plan on taking your work with you, you’ll be relying on your savings to cover you while you’re travelling. This will mean sticking to a sensible budget to make sure that you can afford to do the things you want to do, as well as have some emergency funds – you don’t want to dip into money that’s reserved for your regular bills and payments. It’s worth getting yourself a travel credit card to cover you for any unexpected payments, or have a relative or friend on standby that you can turn to in case you need money urgently.
Protect your valuables
While your home insurance should cover your possessions while you’re away, there are some things that are priceless and valuable that should be better protected. You could consider renting a storage unit to provide you with extra security, or invest in a home safe. For your vehicles, secure motorbike storage and secure car garages make great options for keeping them safe. Make sure your policies are up to date and that your provider will cover your valuables while you’re away for an extended period of time.
Keep your home secure
Your home becomes vulnerable when you’re away for a long period, and some simple home security measures can help protect it while you’re away. If you choose not to rent your home out, you might want to enlist a friend or family member to house sit regularly or pay frequent visits to your home to collect mail, park their car and make it look like someone is home. You should inspect all doors and windows to ensure they’re secure and consider redirecting your mail to make sure it doesn’t pile up while you’re gone. Take some home security tips from experts to make sure you’ve covered everything before you go.
Exercise caution online
It’s also worth remembering to take precautions with your online safety too. While it’s normal to want to share details of your travels, be cautious about who you share your information with and set your privacy settings to either private or to people you know and trust. Don’t make it obvious that your home is empty and perhaps consider waiting until you’re home to share your travel photos. Familiarise yourself with basic online security to make sure you’ve covered everything and don’t leave any passwords lying around.
Give your home a thorough clean
When you return home from travelling, you don’t want to be left facing an untidy, dusty home. There are some chores to do before you travel such as putting on fresh bedding and dusting your house thoroughly. You’ll need to ensure that all rubbish is disposed of and that your fridge is clean too – empty your fridge and freezer if you’re going to be away for a long time – nobody wants to come home to the smell of gone-off food! You could consider hiring a cleaning company to take care of your property while you’re away, and have your home sparkling ready for your return.
No matter how long you’re going away for, it’s important to protect your home while you’re not there. Different technology makes it possible to monitor your home from wherever you are and taking simple precautions before you leave will ensure your home stays safe. Make a list of everything you need to do to secure your home so that you can set off on your travels worry-free.
Collaborative post
