You’ve bought your tickets for your dream vacation. You went out and got the most stylish luggage for your personality. So, you’re ready to hit the road, right?

Well, there are a few things you need to do before you board that flight. You need to make sure your house is prepared. It’s not a big project, but if you organize it then it will definitely go much smoother and you can leave with the peace of mind that there are no loose ends left behind.

The worst thing that can happen on a vacation is that you can’t relax because you aren’t sure if everything is ok back home.

In this article, I will go over several of the things you need to do to have your house prepared when you go on vacation.

1 – Have a security system

Having an alarm that alerts the police in case of a break in is alright to have, but it is a reactive system. What I mean by that is it doesn’t prevent your house from being broken into. And, if you are away then it complicates how things go after the alarm is tripped.

Instead, have a smart system that uses multiple devices to keep your place from being broken into in the first place.

For instance, the best home security system is one that is smart so it uses things like cameras, smart locks and an app that allows you to see things remotely. If there is any motion where your cameras are set up, then you will be alerted on your device and be able to see what is going on. And a smart lock does the same thing as it can’t be opened with a key.

If you have a pet sitter coming by then open and close the door yourself to let them in rather than give them a key.

2 – Have your mail held

A signal to thieves that there is nobody home for a while is when they see mail being stacked up in your mailbox. It’s an invitation that is too much for them to pass up. To avoid sending this signal to a thief, have the post office hold onto your mail.

If you expect to have some important mail and you want to know about it and read it while you are away, then you can set up a mail collection service that will not only hold your mail, but also send you scans of the mail that has arrived so you know what is there.

3 – Put lights on timers

If somebody suspects you are away then when the lights come on, it creates some doubt in their mind that maybe there is somebody home after all. Set your lights up on timers so that it looks like somebody is home. 

You can even have your stereo turned on so they can hear music coming from inside and that will definitely keep them from thinking they should break in. 

4 – Hire a house sitter

If you have a smart home with security so you can know what is happening in your house, and you have a trusted friend or relative, then you can ask them to sit your house while you are gone. This will give you some peace of mind as long as you think the person is responsible. 

You can have them check in with you by video call at certain times so you know that everything is quiet and things are being taken care of. If you have pets that are staying home then this is the perfect solution that kills two birds with one stone.