Whether you are going on vacation, relocating to a new home, or even selling your home, there is something that is a must — protecting your home while you are away. A vacant home is a soft target for burglars, vandals, or even accidental events like leaks, electrical issues, or weather-related damage. The last thing you need when you are on vacation is to have to care about what’s going on at home. Luckily, safeguarding your empty residence doesn’t have to be a chore or a puzzle of ignorance. With some practical preventive steps, you can eliminate risks, knowing your property is safely guarded when you’re not there. Moving companies Toronto provide quality moving and storage services for both residential and commercial clients. Contact them and they will help you move or store your belongings. Also they can give you some tips how to protect your vacant home.
Install an alarm system
One of the most effective ways to protect your vacant home while moving with residential movers in Toronto is by installing a top-grade alarm system. In cities like Toronto, ON, where we are located, alarm systems have become ubiquitous and an accepted aspect of residence security. A quick drive down Bathurst Street reveals numerous front lawns with security notices erected — a clear warning to any would-be thief that these homes are protected. Not only does an alarm system deter burglars, but it may also lower your homeowners insurance premiums, which will pay off in the long run. Many insurance companies offer discounts for homes with monitored security systems because they are less likely to be stolen or damaged.
In order to provide ultimate security, make sure you have both burglary and fire alarms. This extra security measure protects your home against various threats, from burglars to fires, allowing you peace of mind when not at home. When on holiday, relocating from Canada to the US, or property hunting, you will not worry about returning home to a burgled house or to a house destroyed by fire or smoke.
List of the approved people
Also, it’s necessary to give your alarm company a list of the approved people — for instance, close family members, neighbors, or close friends — authorized to enter your home. This helps to ensure that in the event of an emergency or false alarm, there is someone on hand who can promptly confirm the situation and assist responding emergency teams if necessary. Regular calls or visits from such contacts will also make you feel secure, knowing someone is keeping an eye on your property. And remember, a well-working alarm system with assertive contacts builds an incredibly powerful protection that significantly increases the security of your home and allows you to protect your vacant house effectively.
Conduct research on programmable thermostats
Temperature control is also a vital aspect of protecting your vacant home when away. Extreme cold or extreme heat can do massive damage to your home. Pipes freeze and burst in the winter if the weather gets too cold, leading to huge water damage and expensive repairs. In summer, excessive heat and moisture can cause wood swelling, warping, or even induce the growth of mold, which is detrimental to your property and health. A smart or programmable thermostat will assist you in maintaining even indoor temperatures and preventing such costly problems from occurring in the first place.
Smart thermostats offer one of the simplest ways of preventing your unoccupied home from temperature issues when you are gone for an extended period. The majority of modern models today already come equipped with built-in Wi-Fi capabilities, allowing you to remotely manage and adjust your home’s temperature via your smartphone, tablet, or laptop. This remote access provides instant control based on the weather predictions or an instant change in temperature, giving you complete command over your property from anywhere across the globe. Apart from providing a constant indoor climate, smart thermostats can also help you save energy and lower utility expenses by making temperature changes based on your customized settings.
Likewise following proper safety rules for moving keeps you from getting injured and damaged while moving, and taking preventive steps to regulate your house’s temperature prevents major damage when vacant. With nothing but a steady Wi-Fi connection, you can be certain that your home is safe, effective, and completely protected even while away.
Install exterior lighting and cameras to help protect your vacant home
A very simple and effective deterrent to would-be intruders is to place lights outside your home. Timed or motion-sensing lights will give the impression that the home is occupied, even if it is not. Placing lights strategically along approaches, walkways, drives, garages, and outbuildings eliminates dark hiding places and greatly enhances visibility around your property. This greater visibility discourages intruders as well as facilitates it becoming easier for neighbors, police, or strangers to observe and report any suspicious movements.
To ensure reliable performance, install energy-efficient LED lights in weather-resistant fixtures that can withstand severe weather conditions. Proper outdoor lighting is a crucial initial step to secure your vacant home to make it undesirable for opportunistic thieves.
Apart from illumination, outdoor security cameras also offer another valuable layer of protection. Increasingly, modern security cameras today include sophisticated features such as:
- Live streaming, enabling you to see your property in real-time.
- Remote access via mobile apps, enabling you to view your home remotely.
- Motion detection alerts, where you’re immediately notified of any intruders.
- Two-way audio, where you hear and speak through the camera.
These features make you conscious and attuned to your home despite being miles away. Moreover, the very presence of highly visible cameras may act as a strong deterrent, making burglars think twice before trying to break into your house. By combining strategically positioned outdoor lighting with cutting-edge security cameras, you have a complete, multi-level defense system that enables you to protect your vacant residence against burglary, vandalism, and break-in, while providing you with continual peace of mind.
Have a local contact
Even if the security is good, there is no replacement for someone you know stopping by your house every now and then. Having a relative, neighbor, or close friend in the area gives an extra feeling of security while away. Routine inspections not only create the illusion that the house is in use but also allow for prompt detection of issues and their repair before they escalate into costly repairs. For instance, if a pipe is leaking, a window shatters, or if you suffer a storm damage on your property, your contact locally can notify you immediately and arrange preliminary interventions to avoid such issues from recurring in the future.
Local contacts are also relevant in helping you secure your vacant home while away for extended periods of time. Just like carefully choosing a moving day helps you avoid unnecessary setbacks when moving, having someone you can rely on checking your home decreases risks and enables you to feel at ease.
In addition to watching for potential damages, your contact person can respond to mail, remove flyers or packages placed on the doorstep, and keep the property in a lived-in state — all deterrents for burglars seeking empty homes. A home that is properly maintained and often visited is far less likely to attract criminal attention.
If you don’t have someone to leave close by, you can hire a professional home watch or property management service. Many companies offer cheaply priced packages with regular inspections, maintenance, and emergency response in case of finding any issues. Although it’s an extra cost, such services will actually save you thousands less on repair and allow you to lock up your vacant house safely while you’re away.
Prepare your home
Taking a couple of simple, proactive steps before you depart can be an enormous difference-maker in helping you to secure your vacant residence while it is left unoccupied. Start off by conducting a thorough check of all entry points — inspect and replace any weakened locks. Secure all exterior doors, windows, and sliding doors using good, solid locks that cannot be easily meddled with or broken into. Replacing old or faulty locks before leaving eliminates weaknesses in your home’s security and renders it much harder for potential burglars to break in.
Another often-overlooked area is your window treatments. While it might seem logical to close all blinds completely, it’s usually wiser to strike a natural balance. Having some blinds half-open allows sunlight to pour in, creating the illusion a person may be there, and that will deter burglars seeking empty structures.
When away, keep valuable items like electronics, jewelry, and documents safely stored and out of window and door sight. Disconnect non-essential appliances to protect against power surges and conserve energy when you are not home. Lock outdoor furniture, lock storage sheds and clean out drains and gutters to prevent storm damage from water.
With these simple but extremely efficient precautions, you’ll really lower the chances of having to return to nasty surprises. You’ll also feel calm knowing that you’ve done everything to lock up your vacant home. For additional tips and information, check out this vacation home prep guide which covers all the most critical steps to prepare your home for departure.
Pause or forward your mail and deliveries
A full mailbox or packages left on your front porch are two of the most obvious signs that a house is vacant — and are an invitation to burglars. To help secure your vacant home, make a proactive effort to bring in all mail and deliveries before you leave for travel.
First, call your local post office and request that they place your mail on hold or forward it. Most post offices offer handy services that will put your mail on hold or reroute it for any duration, so no packages or letters will accumulate in your absence. Newspapers and clubs making weekly or monthly deliveries can be placed on hold or forwarded so they do not build up in your front yard or at your front door.
For package delivery, consider using intelligent delivery options provided by major carriers, such as secure package lockers, scheduled delivery windows, or holiday holds. Alternatively, ask a trusted neighbor, friend, or landlord to collect fairly regularly any packages or mail that do arrive. This not only prevents open clutter but also adds a second human presence, making the home harder to identify as vacant. By taking control of your mail and deliveries, you remove one of the most obvious signs that an empty home is unoccupied and take another simple and effective measure to secure your vacant house while you are away.
A little preparation goes a long way
Leaving home — whether you’re traveling for vacation, relocating with cross province movers, or some other purpose — can be stressful. But with the right precautions taken, you can minimize risks and enjoy a stress-free trip away with total peace of mind. By having solid systems in place, installing smart thermostats, installing outside lighting and cameras, making arrangements with local contacts that you can trust, and setting your home up securely before you depart, you create several layers of security that all function together to protect your unattended home.
Allowing time for advance planning benefits you not just by discouraging potential break-ins and damage to your property but also by protecting you from costly repair work and unnecessary stress. With technology, reliable people, and slight adjustments at home, you can leave your home without worrying that it’s secure until you return.
