For many people in retirement, they want to take as many vacations as they can while they’re still physically able to and not yet living in retirement communities. But as you plan and prepare for your next vacation, you’ll want to make sure that you adequately get your home ready for your absence, especially if you’re planning to be away from home for a while.
To help you in doing this correctly, here are three tips for preparing your home for an extended vacation during retirement.
Update Or Upgrade Your Home Security System
For many seniors, having a home security system is a great way to protect their home and property. But if you’ve had your current home security system for a long time, you might want to look into what updates have been made to these systems recently so that you can have the latest technology available for home security.
If you don’t already have things like video recording near the entrances to your home, smart locks and lights, motion detectors, signals that show when your windows have been opened or broken, you might want to look into these options and have them installed before you leave on your extended trip. This way, you can keep an eye on things even when you’re not physically at home for a while.
Hire Someone To Take Care Of Things Around The House
Even with the best security system in place, there are still things that you’re going to want a real person to take care of for you. So before you leave on your trip, find someone that you can ask or hire to take care of some things around the house for you.
Depending on the length of your trip, you may want to ask someone to do things like watering your plants, getting your mail, mowing your lawn, and other tasks that could alert people that no one has been at your home for a while. Doing this will help to keep your home from looking like an easy target.
Prep Your Home Mechanical Systems
Something else that you might want to do as you prepare to leave your home for an extended vacation is to prepare your home’s mechanical systems for your absence. This means doing things like turning down your thermostat so that it’s not running too much while still keeping your home at a reasonable temperature as well as potentially turning off your hot water heater and unplugging some of your bigger appliances. By taking these measures, you can use less energy while also reducing the chances of something going wrong with them while you’re gone but not noticing until you get home.
If you’re going to be taking some long vacations now that you’re in retirement, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you get your home ready for this.