Safe Luxury

Going on a summer trip for a few months. How to keep home safe?

I'm visiting family this summer in California but I just purchased a house in Texas. I'm a little apprehensive about leaving my house vacant for that long. I'll be purchasing a home security system but I want to know what else I can do to keep it safe and keep the utility bills down while i'm gone? Advice or a website will be appreciated. Thanks!

Public Comments

1. I wouldnt waorry about it, unless you live in or near a big city!
2. Contact your Realtor. have them visit it every so often. Buy a couple of timers to turn on random lights during the night to simulate someone being home. Have the mail held while you're gone.
3. The two best ways are to have a house sitter or to have a caring neighbor. I've had house sitters for long vacations, and two have been relatives who weren't working and enjoyed a free vacation, another was a law student who worked for a reputable firm and wanted to get a job there, so we were sure he wouldn't rip us off. A house sitter is normally someone who lives at your house for free in return for looking out for security, making sure nothing horrible happens without you getting a call, and forwards mail and pays bills if that's important. If you can figure out how to get a reliable house sitter, this would probably be your best option. (Caring neighbors can be even harder to find.)
4. Getting a security system is the best thing you can do. Go to the Post Office and fill out a request card for them to hold your mail, and call to stop the newspaper temporarily. Get a timer to turn various lights on and off at night. Tell a neighbor you trust that you'll be gone and give them a phone number where you can be reached in an emergency. Let the police know and they'll put your house on vacation watch. After that just relax and enjoy yourself.
5. I'm a house-sitter for a neighbor. He's gone for months at a time. Do you know any responsible people, even good teens who need extra money? All I do is pick up mail, forward it if necessary, stay in email contact about the lawn guys, empty the dehumidifier, empty his ice bin, take out his waste bin once a week, flush toilets, run water, flip on different lights every night, and am authorized to drive the car to keep it in good shape. I get $100 a month when he's gone on vacation, $300 a month if gone on businesss. A property management company will probably be more for all that. To me, it's maybe 15-30 minutes out of my day. I'm in CA, you're in TX, if you don't expect freezing temps, just shut the furnace off. If you do, have your house-sitter adjust for temps if you don't have a programmable thermostat. Pick someone you trust who will check on it every day/night.
6. What a pity we can't take our homes with us when we travel