If you are planning a vacation this winter, in order to make sure things go smoothly, it’s wise to prepare your home before you go away. Here is a helpful pre-vacation home checklist:

• Don’t tell everyone about your vacation or post about it on social media – the fewer people who know your home is empty, the safer.
• If you are in a house, ask a neighbor to keep an eye on things, bring in your mail and help with any outdoor maintenance needed while you are away. Provide them with a key and your contact information in case they need to reach you due to an emergency.
• Consider keeping a couple of lights on, setting lights up on timers if you have them, or controlling them remotely with your smartphone.
• Unplug unneeded devices to save power and to prevent an electrical fire.
• Keep your thermostat at 59°F to avoid pipes bursting in cold climates.
• Turn off the water supply to prevent water damage.
• If you have smart technology linked to your phone, you can check on your home with security cameras, turn on and off the TV, and open and close blinds, to make your home appear occupied.

With a little pre-planning, you can go away with greater peace of mind so you can relax and enjoy your vacation.