Top 5 tips for snowbirds: Protect your home while away

As cold weather moves in, a southern migration will feel even better if you are confident your home is safe while you're away. Start preparations early and work from a list to help you remember everything necessary to protect your home and property.

Make your home look lived in.

• Set timers to control lights and a radio to confuse would-be burglars.
• Have a trusted neighbor collect any deliveries and check the inside of your home periodically.
• Cancel newspapers and forward your mail. 
• Forward telephone calls and turn off the phone’s ringer so these don’t give away your absence.
• Arrange for thorough snow removal. Encourage a neighbor to park in your driveway.

Secure property.

• Give police your travel plans and contact information.
• Put small valuables in a safe-deposit box.
• Put outdoor furniture and grills in a locked garage.

Reduce energy consumption and fire hazards.

• Unplug electronics and cleaned refrigerators and freezers, with doors propped open.

Prevent water damage.

• Clean gutters.
• Turn off water supply to house if heating system allows.
• Turn off and drain water heater.
• Disconnect dishwasher and laundry machines. Winterize according to manufacturer instructions.
• Drain and blow out pipes. Pour RV antifreeze down each drain to fill traps.
• If water must stay on, open cabinet doors that conceal plumbing to allow circulation of warmer air and prevent frozen pipes.
• Allow your trusted neighbor to monitor house temperature using a wireless outdoor thermometer; the sensor goes in your house and the receiver stays in your neighbor’s. Or, use a red bulb in a lamp connected to a temperature-sensitive outlet to signal your neighbor of dangerous temperature drops.

Consider harnessing technology.

• Smartphone apps allow you to monitor your home and control lighting, temperature, and other functions from anywhere you have a cellular or Wi-Fi signal.