If you’re going on a trip for a little while, it can feel a bit nerve-wracking to leave your home unoccupied. You might wonder if anything will go wrong while you’re away and what you might come back to.
But with the right preparation and planning, you can enjoy your trip, knowing that you’ve done what you can to make your property look lived in – even while you’re not there.
When you’re going away, what your property looks like on the outside is more important than if you’re at home. That’s because criminals and other opportunists pay attention to how a house looks to make a judgment about whether or not it’s occupied. If your property’s looking a bit worse for wear outside, it looks a little run down, or the garden is overgrown, you’ll want to fix these things before your trip so it looks well-maintained and occupied. Some things you can do before leaving include mowing the lawn and pruning any plants, fixing and repainting fences, or maybe even giving your front door a new lick of paint.
When you’re away, automatic lighting can go a long way towards making your home look lived in. Many timed lighting systems plug into sockets and helpfully pair up with your smartphone too, meaning that you can remotely control the lighting in your home while you’re away. Particularly important is making sure your entrance light is on in the evenings, as this tells opportunists that someone is home and is likely to deter them from trying to trespass.
Thieves looking to enter vacant properties often look at piled-up post as a sign that a home is empty. This may not be such a big problem if your front door doesn’t contain frosted glass, but if it is, it’s a good idea to make alternative arrangements for the post. You might consider asking Royal Mail to hold your post for when you’re back, or signing up for a temporary redirect service.
If you know and get on with your neighbours, they could be invaluable while you’re away. You could ask them to collect your post and water any plants so that someone is seen inside your home, and if they have a second car, you could ask if they could park it in your driveway.
No matter how much you prepare, sometimes things go wrong. But when it comes to your home, you want to make sure you’ve taken all the right precautions. Find out more about how non-standard home insurance can give you the security you need while you’re away.
Please note that your insurance policy will include specific terms, conditions, exclusions, and limitations. Failure to comply with these conditions may result in your policy being invalidated. We strongly recommend that you carefully review all aspects of your policy documentation, which will be provided to you upon quotation.
The information contained in this article is for general information purposes only. It does not constitute legal or other professional advice and cannot be relied upon as such. Should you have any queries, we recommend that you consult the appropriate professional adviser.
While there’s no one-size-fits-all answer as the cost of cover can vary greatly depending on a range of factors we have pulled together this helpful guide, to take a look at the typical price range of the different types of plumbers insurance so you know what to expect.
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Having an unoccupied property can be an unfortunate but common occurrence as a landlord. This could be down to a gap between tenants, time needed for repairs or an extended holiday by your tenants. Either way, when your property is left vacant, the risks associated go up.
