Safety tips to secure your home

Your home may be your most prized asset with its valuable memories and priceless sentimental value. There are times, though, that you may need to leave it unattended for a period of time. This makes your property vulnerable to different risks with damaging consequences — from pipe leakage to burglary.

Before leaving your home, here’s a list of tasks to do for your peace of mind while you’re on vacation. While these won’t guarantee nothing will go wrong, they may help minimize the chances of untoward incidents.

Upgrade security features

A premium home security system with cameras, sensors, and alarms is a good investment, and you can level it up by connecting the system to your smartphone. A smart security system is now a necessity, especially for those who are on the go since it sends alerts of burglary or smoke as well as of unusual activities. You can now also visually monitor your home via remote viewing on your phone. Here’s a primer on how to set up a smart home: (insert link to the smart home blog).

A trusty lock also matters, so it’s best to equip your doors and gates with the ones resistant to force (kicking, drilling, or picking).  

Check each door and window

Check and lock every door and window in your home before you leave — especially the out-of-the-way ones because someone might have opened a window and forgotten to lock it. Ensure all the entry points are secured. This will not only prevent the entry of unwanted burglars but also avert possible water damage from a storm while you are away.

Unplug the appliances and check the faucets

Another nerve-wracking thought that comes to mind when on vacation is if you’ve turned off the gas at home. Prevent this anxiety by making to-unplug and to-shut checklists: the air-conditioning unit, water heater, main water supply, LPG tank, lights, kitchen appliances, TV, and routers. This also reduces the small chance of fire starting while your home is unattended and in cases of electrical storms. 

Create an illusion

A home that looks occupied is less of a target. To deter burglars, make it look like someone is at home by leaving one or two prominent lights on. Set your porch light on an automatic timer, if you’ve already installed smart lights, to mimic daily activities. Before leaving, keep your property tidy, too. Keep the bushes and hedges trimmed, plants watered, and your lawn mowed to leave the impression that someone is home.

Ask your neighbor a favor

Most probably, you’ll have packages and mail delivered at your door if you didn’t ask to hold the delivery, so ask a trusted neighbor a favor to collect them for you. Alternatively, delay any deliveries until you’ve returned or redirect them to your workplace where someone can receive them for you. You don’t want to have an overstuffed mailbox or a pile of papers at the door. 

There are different ways to protect your home from unwanted perils, but a gated community has added security measures to safeguard its residents. An exclusive village or condominium enclave is staffed with private guards and equipped with cameras that strictly monitor pedestrians and automobiles roving around the streets and compound. In this case, it’s best to invest in such a community that gives you the utmost protection and consequently, the peace of mind you deserve.

Prestige by Filinvest complements sophisticated lifestyles with specially crafted living spaces within well-appointed gated horizontal and vertical communities. Drawing on five decades of experience in property development, each residential masterpiece is meant to be cherished from one generation to the next, all in highly coveted locations.