Tips to remember before leaving for winter vacation

Planning a winter getaway?

Make your return home as stress free as your vacation with this preparation “to do” list.

60°F will conserve energy and reduce the stress on your furnace when heating the house on your return

30% of Burglaries are through unlocked windows or doors. Windows are left unlocked more often than doors.

Winter to do:

• Arrange for someone to plow or shovel so your home appears occupied.
• Turn the thermostat down to 60°F and leave interior doors open to circulate air.
• Put lights on auto-timers and consider outdoor motion detectors.

Don’t forget to:

• Lock your doors — and windows too.
• Suspend newspaper and mail delivery.
• Purge the refrigerator of perishables, run the disposal and take the trash out.
• Ask a neighbor to keep an eye on your place and leave a key with someone.

It’s a good time to:

• Run a computer back-up and then turn your computer off.
• Address maintenance issues so they don’t snowball while you’re gone.
• Conduct a home inventory and make sure your insurance policies are up-to-date.

These tips and others are available from Homeminders® and VacationSafe™, services provided as part of The Hanover Group Platinum Experience.