Homeowners Tips That Will Save You Money Part 8 of 9

In part 8 we will provide tips to use when planning to be away for a vacation.

To prevent flooding, turn off the main water valve
Every insurance adjuster has a hundred stories like this: The homeowners left town Friday and returned Sunday evening to find thousands of dollars in water damage. The moral is simple: Before going on vacation, turn off that main valve. In less than a minute, you can eliminate the most common cause of home damage.

For better security, lock the garage door
Some people “lock” the garage door by unplugging the opener. But physically locking the door is even better. An unplugged opener won’t stop, say, a burglar who has entered through the house from opening the garage door from the inside, backing in a van, and using the garage as a loading dock for his plunder. Make a burglar’s job more difficult by locking the garage door itself. If your door doesn’t have a lockable latch, drill a hole in the track just above one of the rollers and slip in a padlock.

Inform your neighbors

Let your neighbors know you will be away. Ask if they would keep an eye on your house.

In part 9 we will provide easy tips that will prevent large problems from arising.