Let’s stay, you woke up late the morning you had to leave for a week’s vacation. It happened in one of the four sequels of Home Alone (a popular movie). Suppose you left your home in a hurry to catch your flight and when the flight is about to take off, you suddenly remember that you have not locked the garage door. Will you be able to enjoy your vacation to the fullest. The obvious answer is no. Making arrangements for a holiday is not all about packing your clothes, or booking a hotel or flight tickets. It is much more than that.
Here are a few things that you must take care before leaving for a holiday:
Tell your neighbors
If you have planned to celebrate this New year at a popular tourist destination overseas, do inform your neighbors about your expected dates of departure and arrival. Do ask them to watch for any suspicious activity around your home, when you are away. You can ask them to collect things like mail, newspapers, deliveries and fliers, when you are gone, so that
there is no indication of your not being at home in the festive season.
Seek a friend’s help
Thefts and burglaries increase during the festive season and leaving your home unattended during this peak season, without having made proper arrangements, is like giving a direct invitation to burglars. You must ask a trustworthy friend of yours to keep visiting your home at least once a day. You can ask him to adjust your drapes or mow the lawn to make it look like you are home. You can ask your friend to make arrangements for a snow removal company, lest your home does not get damaged for the lack of timely removal of snow.
Make arrangements for your pet
If you have a pet, a fish, a bird or any other live animal, make sure you take him or her with you on the vacation, or else you must make arrangements for a care-taker who can take its good care when you are away. You can also arrange or buy an automatic feeder, if there is nobody who can take good care of him in your absence.
Let the police know that you are away. They will patrol more in that area, to avoid any theft or damage. You can always set automatic timers for Christmas lights, inside as well as outside to create an illusion that somebody is at home. You can always rent Storage in London for storing perishable things, especially if you are going out for more than a month. You must take care of the following things also:
* Clean your refrigerator, if you are leaving for more than a week.
* Close and lock all the doors and windows
* Unplug all the electronic appliances to save energy