Protect Your Home While On Vacation
Take these precautions before you leave and while you’re out of the house.
No one wants to come home to a disaster. Learn how you can reduce the risk of burglary, as well as fire and water damage, while you travel.
Before you go
Before locking your doors and windows and hitting the road, there are several things you should do—and not do—to help keep your property and possessions safe. Here’s a helpful checklist:
Do
- Stop your mail service. Old newspapers and a bulging letterbox could tip off burglars that no one is home.
- Put your lights and television on a timer to cycle on and off. This helps create the illusion of an active household.
- Lock any valuables you don’t take with you, such as jewelry, in a safe or a safe-deposit box.
- To reduce the risk of a fire and save energy, unplug electronics and appliances that don’t need to be running.
- Shut off your main water supply to prevent leaks that could lead to damage.
- Arm your alarm system. If you don’t have an alarm, consider installing one—the investment could lower the cost of your homeowners insurance.
Do not
• Hide a spare key outside. If you must, be sure it’s hard to find.
• Lower your blinds. Instead leave them at their usual height and move visible valuables away from the window.
• Change your answering machine to let callers know you’re on vacation.
• Post your travel plans on social media. Learn more from MetLife Auto & Home® about protecting your home from social thieves.
• Leave your GPS in your vehicle at the airport. Someone could break into your car and get your home address.
While you’re away
You can feel confident your home is secure even if you’re miles away. Here’s how:
• Enlist the help of a neighbor, friend or family member: To help make your home look lived in, have them park in your driveway, take out the trash or mow the lawn.
• Talk to local authorities: If you let your local police know you’re out of town, they may drive by your house to check for signs of trouble.
• Use your smartphone: Download an app that allows you to link your smartphone to a webcam so you can watch your home from anywhere—even the beach.
As a News Corp employee, you have access to special discounts on auto insurance from MetLife Auto & Home®. We also offer a variety of other insurance policies including: home, renters, boat, motorcycle, recreational vehicle and more. To learn more about the program call 1 800 GET-MET 8 (1-800-438-6388), and mention your discount code: DP9.
For the most accurate comparisons, please have your current policies with you when you call.
MetLife Auto & Home is a brand of Metropolitan Property and Casualty Insurance Company and its af liates: Economy Preferred Insurance Company, Metropolitan Casualty Insurance Company, Metropolitan Direct Property and Casualty Insurance Company, Metropolitan General Insurance Company, Metropolitan Group Property and Casualty Insurance Company and Metropolitan Lloyds Insurance Company of Texas, all with administrative home of ces in Warwick, RI. Coverage, rates, discounts and policy features vary by state and product, and are available in most states to those who qualify. Met P&C®, MetCasSM and MetGenSM are licensed in the state of Minnesota.
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