Take the Stress out of Your Next Christmas Break

Going on a break with the family over Christmas is a great way to enjoy the holidays. You can take yourself off to somewhere where perhaps the weather is more generous than what the UK can offer during this time of year. Furthermore, you can even visit a destination that promises snow and have that traditional white Christmas. But planning how you will make your home secure whilst you are away, you can leave behind any worries and instead concentrate on the memories.

The first port of call for planning your Christmas holiday is to cancel any regular deliveries you may have, such as newspapers and milk. Having these items pile up on the front doorstep can be a give-away that the home owner is not around, and invite some rather unwanted attention.

Another important consideration is how you will make your home look lived-in whilst you are away. It can be quite useful to obtain timer switches for your lamps that come on at specific times in the evenings, which should help make it look like people are still occupying the home.

It is an added bonus if you are able to take your pets away with you, but unfortunately this is not always practical. If you have pets and can’t take them with you, you’ll need to arrange for someone to care for them. There are numerous kennels that offer holiday care services for both cats and dogs or perhaps a friend or neighbour could help you out during your time away.

Also, make sure all heaters are turned off and your taps are fully closed before departing on your break. This will not only help the environment but it will also help save on any wasted usage on your utilities bill too. And if you are going away for a week or longer, it can be a good idea to turn off your gas and water at the mains switch.

Making sure all the doors and windows are locked is incredibly important too. It may sound like an obvious task to tick off before you leave, but you’ll be surprised how easy it is to forget when you are rushing out the door. Leave a reminder on your fridge to make sure you lock up your home before you leave.

Finally, whether you are going away for the holidays or not, it is always a good idea to have home insurance to help cover any damage to your home or possessions. If anything untoward was to happen whilst you were away, either from a natural disaster or unforeseen circumstances, your home insurance will help cover the cost of such repairs and replace what has been damaged.

The last thing you want when you return home from that magical Christmas adventure is to find your home in disarray. By following these simple steps, you can help secure your home and keep it safe whilst you are enjoying your holiday.

Daniel Collins writes on a number of topics on behalf of a digital marketing agency and a variety of clients. As such, this article is to be considered a professional piece with business interests in mind.