When You’re Not Home for The Holidays: Protect Your Investment in Your Home

Turkey Day is only a couple of weeks away, and people throughout Polk County are preparing for family and friends to join them for the holiday feast, and perhaps preparing for overnight guests as well.  However, we also know that many of our friends and neighbors here in Central Florida will be packing up to head to another part of the state, or even a different state altogether, to celebrate Thanksgiving with their own families.  Leaving for any period of time requires preparing one’s home to be left vacant, whether for a weekend or a week.  This can be risky since the holiday season is a popular time for burglars to hit residential neighborhoods knowing that many residents will be out of town.

So how can you protect your home and property this year?

• Have a neighbor staying home for the holidays?  Ask them for a favor and have them park one of their cars in your driveway.  This makes it look as if someone is continuing to come/leave each day, and that can deter invaders who watch neighborhoods for homes with no activity.  If you aren’t having someone park in your driveway to offer daily activity on your property, but you have your own car left in your drive, consider parking it in your garage for the duration of your trip.  Leaving your car unattended for several days could lead to it being broken into or damaged.
• Head down to your post office and have them put your mail on hold if you’ll be gone for more than a few days.  Having mail piled up in your box is not only a sure sign for potential burglars that you are not home, but it can also lead to pieces of mail being lost/stolen.  If you don’t want to go through the hassle of the post office, ask a trusted neighbor or friend to get your mail for you while you’re gone.
• Leave the tv on.  This might not be a great idea if you’ll be gone for extended amounts of time (like a whole week) but for just a weekend, this can be an effective way to make it seem as if someone is home.  In the evenings, the “blue” flicker from a tv screen looks as if people are home from the outside, and that could send criminals the other way.
• Leave on a light or two inside the house (and NOT just your front porch light or flood light). Leaving on lights that you actually use during the day, such as a hallway light and/or a bedroom light make it look like someone is at home, much like the television trick above.
• Have a friend or neighbor bring your garbage can back to its normal location if your trip will span trash day.  Having your garbage left by the curb is a giveaway that you aren’t home.
• Hire a house sitter.  There are plenty of Polk County residents that offer house-sitting services, or you can ask a local friend or trusted teen to stay in your home while you are away.  This takes care of activity at your home, having someone to get the mail and handle the garbage cans, etc.
• Invest in a security system.  Security systems not only offer a whole extra level of protection when you aren’t at home, but they often lower your monthly premiums on your homeowner’s policy, so it’s a win-win!

If you really want to protect your home, make sure it’s covered for Thanksgiving Day, and EVERY day, by checking up on your insurance policy and your current coverage.  Not only is it vital to verify that your homeowners policy covers theft and vandalism, but your auto policy as well, since your car could be left at risk in these situations.  Not sure if your current plan is up to par with your needs?  We can help!  Carroll Marshall Insurance can help you look over your existing plans and determine if they meet your needs.  If not, we can help you alter your coverage to guarantee that your needs are met but your premium budget isn’t exceeded.  We want to see our clients protected this holiday season, whether they are celebrating here at home in Winter Haven, or abroad with family and friends.

Happy Thanksgiving from Carroll Marshall Insurance!