Many people spend an extensive amount of time away from their homes for a variety of reasons: traveling for business or pleasure, your rental property is unoccupied, or you split time between more than one home. No matter what your reasoning, homes that are left alone for an extended period of time are susceptible to more damage than normal because there is no one there to fix a situation that could possibly occur.

Before you close up your home for any length of time, take the necessary precautions to keep it safe:

• Adjust the thermostat according to the weather and the time of year. During cold temperatures, you want it to be low enough so you do not incur lots of heating charges, but high enough that your pipes won’t freeze. During warmer temperatures, be sure to set the thermostat high enough that the air won’t cut on every fifteen minutes
• Protect your pipes and plumbing. You would hate to come back to find that pipes have either burst or have been continually leaking, so the best thing to do is to have the water cut off while you are gone and have the water lines drained. You also want to be sure to shut off the gas to the water heater
• Shield your house from high winds if you plan to be away during a time when high winds are likely. Be sure that all tree limbs are cut back and all lightweight furniture is secured. You might also want to consider installing storm windows or hurricane shutters
• While you’re gone, you want to make sure your house still looks lived in to deter any thieves or vandals. You can install lights around the perimeter of your home that run on a timer, and then set the timer so that the lights go on and off periodically. Hire someone to periodically shovel your snow or cut your grass for you. You will also want to have your mail service and newspaper delivery suspended. Additionally, it’s always a good idea to notify the local police letting them know that your house will be empty

When you return home, be sure to cut the water back on and adjust the thermostat according to your personal comfort. You might also want to do a complete once-over of your home just to be sure everything is as it was when you left and that nothing happened while you were gone that needs to be fixed.