If you’re thinking of taking a long trip overseas, whether it’s a once in a lifetime round the world trip or a long stay in a place you’ve always wanted to visit, you’ll need to make plans for your home while you’re away. You’ll want to make sure it and all of your possessions inside are safe and that it doesn’t become an easy target for burglars. Here are some ways to prepare it before you leave.

Cancel Deliveries and Redirect Mail

Cancelling delivering and redirecting mail away from the home is definitely a good idea before you head off on your trip. You don’t want parcels to start piling up outside and for letters to be hanging out of your mailbox. Those are the surest signs of all that no one’s home, and it’s something that just about everyone passing by will notice as well.

Remove the Spare Key

If you’re someone who sometimes hides a spare key so you can get into the home in an emergency, that’s something you should rectify before you leave. The last thing you should want to do is have a spare key lying around for a burglar to use while you travel overseas. Leaving a key for anyone to use will also invalidate your home insurance policy, so that’s something to consider.

Set Lights on a Timer

Setting your home’s lights on a timer and having them come on and off periodically is a simple and straightforward way of making sure that it always looks like there’s someone home. You don’t want the home to appear vacant as that will make it seem more like an easy target to people who might want to break in.

Fix Any Lingering Issues

If you know that there are certain problems in the home that need to be dealt with, it makes sense to get these seen to and fixed before you leave. If you don’t do that, you might find that by the time you get back home, they’re even worse and damage might even have been done to the home in your absence. So whether it’s an AC repair or a plumbing fix, get that stuff dealt with by a pro.

Consider Moving Valuables to an Off-Site Safe 

Finally, you should consider moving any of the really valuable items in your home off-site. You could store them in a safe deposit box at a bank or somewhere similar. That way, you’ll know that they’re completely safe and secure even when you’re away from home. Leaving them in the home when you’re not there is always a risk, even if you take the steps discussed above.

As you can see, there are lots of things you can do to make sure your home is properly prepared and secure before you leave for a big vacation or overseas trip. Whatever your reason for traveling is, your home should be a top priority as you prepare and plan, so don’t overlook it.