Moving is a long and complicated process that will often keep you quite busy. Between the old house and the new, the movers and the storage units, you’ll spend a lot of time going back and forth. This will likely leave at least one of your properties empty for a while. Your old house may not be selling or your new place may not be quite ready for moving in just yet. Either way, you should know how to protect your home during a relocation in case you end up leaving your property vacant for an extended period of time!
Close and lock all doors, windows, and gates
Statistics show a steady decline in rates of breaking and entering in Canada over the past few years, but that doesn’t mean you should leave your house unlocked. This should be a fairly obvious first step, but it bears repeating: close and lock all entrances to the house. This includes front and back doors, windows on all floors, garage doors, and gates leading to the front and back yard. And don’t just rely on common sense and habit, either. With the chaos and stress of moving all around you, it’s easy to forget even the most basic things. Always double check that you’ve closed and locked everything before leaving the house.
Don’t leave any spare keys lying around
Keeping a spare key hidden on your patio or in the yard is not a bad idea when you’re only gone for the day. After all, who hasn’t locked themselves out once or twice? But if you’re moving to Ontario and won’t be back for some time, you should remove all spare keys from the property and take them with you.
Be careful with the information you put out
It’s only natural that complete strangers will learn things about you and your home when you’re selling a house. After all, prospective buyers have to know what you’re selling and where they can check it out for themselves. But try not to put too much out there. Keep your moving plan to yourself, for example. Otherwise, you risk the wrong people knowing when you’re away from home! And remember, hiring professional realtor is a great idea if you’re unsure about what you’re doing.
Ask a neighbor to check up on the house
You may be changing your address, but there are plenty of people staying behind. Your neighbors or friends and family in the area can help you protect your home during a relocation. Give someone you trust a spare key and have them check up on the property every once in a while. Not only will this ensure that you have an extra set of eyes on the house, but you can also find out about anything that needs fixing or extra upkeep!
Take the valuables with you
What is the worst thing that can happen if someone breaks into your vacant home? Vandalizing is certainly a concern, but it’s the possibility of their valuables being stolen that keeps most people up at night. The best way to prevent this is not to leave your valuables behind. So keep important documents, priceless jewelry, family heirlooms, collectibles and items of sentimental value moving with you. Professional moving services Sudbury often include packing as well as transportation, but most movers won’t move irreplaceable items anyway. So you’ll be relocating these yourself anyway! Might as well do it early on and ensure they’re safe.
Keep an eye out during the packing and moving
You may choose to hire specialty movers for certain items or pay for packing services and ask your movers to pack your home for you. If you’re particularly concerned about something being stolen or damaged during this, you may want to stick around and keep an eye on everything. Of course, this won’t be a problem if you hire the right professionals. So research your moving company well! And, more importantly, learn how to avoid fraudulent movers.
Protect your home during a relocation with a good security system
Even if you’re not in the house yourself, keep your security system running. This really shouldn’t put too much of a dent in your moving budget. And you will sleep better knowing something is helping protect your home during a relocation. This makes it worth the expense anyway!
If your alarm system is not rigged to inform the police when it’s set off, look into ways to set that up. After all, you won’t be there to dial 911. And in case the alarm is tripped accidentally, someone you trust should know how to disarm it so give your security code to a trustworthy neighbor or friend.
Don’t remove the security system sign
If you do decide to disconnect your alarm system, don’t advertise that to the world. Keep the sign for your old security system in front of the house and in the windows. This may be enough of a deterrent to keep burglars away!
Invest in insurance
Insurance doesn’t exactly protect your home during a relocation. But it does protect you from the consequences of something bad happening. Your moving company will provide you with insurance for the move, but you may want to check out options for additional insurance too. If you’re planning on using storage, for example, make sure it’s secure. And finally, purchase vacant home insurance – yes, that is a real thing!
Arrange for home maintenance
You want your home to look clean, secure and inhabitable, especially if you’re still selling it. So have someone mow your lawn, shovel your snow, water your plants, keep your yard clean and take out any trash. And don’t get rid of handyman contacts from your old neighborhood – you never know when you might need one!
Make it look like you’re there
Your home is an easy target if people know you’re not there. So try to make the house look lived in even if you’re not actually spending time there. This will protect your home during a relocation by making people think you still live there. You may want to consider having someone park in your driveway once in a while for example. And, of course, cancel any subscriptions deliveries and forward any bills and letters to your new address. This way, your mail won’t pile up in front of your door and betray your absence.