waht to do when leaving your house for an extended period
edmond morris said
02:47 PM Mar 28, 2021
Hi Fellow grey nomads,
well the time to head off on the half lap is getting closer and we were wondering what other travellers do when leaving their property?
we will turn off the water and disconnect all electrical items except for freezer, what else do people recommend?
we have children who will be checking on the property occassionally and hopefully my neighbours will be cutting the lawn at the front to keep things tidy.
All our bills are digital so no problems with post ,Your thoughts and advice very welcome
Ed & megan
Peter_n_Margaret said
03:07 PM Mar 28, 2021
Check that it is OK with your insurance company.
Cheers,
Peter
Clarky 1 said
03:10 PM Mar 28, 2021
Unless you are posting on any media as a participant who is not able to be recognised then avoid any comments on your travel adventures.
Even though you may be thinking that you are only talking to your friends on Face Book etc you are also talking to hundreds, if not thousands of friends of friends to those on your friends list.
It doesn't take long for others to work out when you are away as well as when your children can visit and so on.
It is easy for anyone to plan a time for a break in when no one will be suspecting.
A great way is to have a trusted friend or relative live in while you are away.
You can have timed lights that turn on and off and likewise with TV and radio.
When I started to travel I had security shutters fitted to all openings on the house and left keys and controls with a trusted neighbour.
Junk mail is another problem..I removed my letterbox after our first stint away...the signs on the letterbox don't work.
A good neighbour is valuable in keeping things tidy and a watchful eye on your property.
There is a lot of info from your local police for dos and don'ts for when tou are away so check that info as well.
Clarky 1 said
03:18 PM Mar 28, 2021
Peter_n_Margaret wrote:
Check that it is OK with your insurance company. Cheers, Peter
Yes, that is good advice.
We got caught away for longer than we had planned so contacted our insurance company and they allowed us a longer period until we could get home.
Just a small detail but fairly important if you need to claim.
edmond morris said
10:36 AM Mar 29, 2021
Hi Stu
thanks for the info
thankfully we live in country Vic so junk mail is not a problem, but i will invest in a couple of timers and check with the insurance company a well
thanks for the great tips
Ed & megan
elliemike said
10:59 AM Mar 29, 2021
The good neighbours are invaluable as is notifying insurance companies. Tell them you have neighbours keeping an eye on the place.
We get our neighbour to keep an eye on the verge grass. If it is becoming unkempt they get their Mower Man to do ours when they have theirs cut.
If away for long periods I would empty the freezer. As happened to us twice while away on past trips. One time away for four months and the other only a week The RCD circuit breaker for the kitchen part of the house tripped.
Resulting in the freezer full of Rotting Putrified contents, when our neighbours went inside the house after a couple of weeks.
The second time it was that same circuit RCD tripped both times it was our Pond Pump (on the same RCD) Cable chewed by a RAT we think.
First time we think our neighbour was spraying the pond pump electrical switch while watering the garden.
We have the pump on a different circuit now but still empty the freezer.
Aus-Kiwi said
02:36 PM Mar 29, 2021
We dont have RCD on fridge circuits . Pool pump has its own RCD . I find keeping the lawns cut . Turn thermostats lower / higher temp . All flour type, cereal etc put in fridge or take with us ? Weevil is a pain !! Maybe set insect bomb off on leaving ?? My bedside radio in each bedroom is set through the day . Try not to totally close the curtains so it looks like we are away . Leave a car or family members bomb in driveway !! Set watering system 2m every 12 hours depending on time of the year ., Same with pool pump . 2 hours in winter is enough .
dogbox said
03:15 PM Mar 29, 2021
Clarky 1 wrote:
Unless you are posting on any media as a participant who is not able to be recognised then avoid any comments on your travel adventures.
Even though you may be thinking that you are only talking to your friends on Face Book etc you are also talking to hundreds, if not thousands of friends of friends to those on your friends list.
It doesn't take long for others to work out when you are away as well as when your children can visit and so on.
It is easy for anyone to plan a time for a break in when no one will be suspecting.
A great way is to have a trusted friend or relative live in while you are away.
You can have timed lights that turn on and off and likewise with TV and radio.
When I started to travel I had security shutters fitted to all openings on the house and left keys and controls with a trusted neighbour.
Junk mail is another problem..I removed my letterbox after our first stint away...the signs on the letterbox don't work.
A good neighbour is valuable in keeping things tidy and a watchful eye on your property.
There is a lot of info from your local police for dos and don'ts for when tou are away so check that info as well.
how many people go away on holidays then post happy snaps on F/B to tell the world what a good time they are having and won't be back for so long of time
Gaylehere said
11:25 PM Mar 29, 2021
We don't do any of those things like lights timed to turn on, radio going off etc. etc. When the motorhome is parked in the yard - we're home. When the motorhome is not parked in the yard - we're away. End of story. We do get friends/family to pick up our mail, water the garden, mow the front lawn etc. but that is for us, to keep the place tidy while we are away. (Thinking about it, I think our insurance co. said that was all that needed to be done). We do disconnect all electrical appliances including fridge and freezer. Yes, we to have had a fridge malfunction whilst away many years ago, never again. Any car keys, remotes for the roller doors get hidden away. Don't make it easy for any would be burglar. We did get Crimsafe security screens on windows and screen doors, Our back wooden door is solid wood, not one of those hollow doors that can be kicked through, got the non shatterproof stuff painted on our two big glass panels. Have dead locks on all doors. We don't let things lying around the yard, we put our outdoor setting in the shed, but like I said at the beginning anyone who goes up our street knows when we're not here.
Aus-Kiwi said
01:08 AM Mar 30, 2021
Settings on F/B should be friends only . Not friends of friends . Or just family ? You have the CHOICE who reads it !! $150 for 4 security cameras . Can easy be connected to wifi, hard drive etc
edmond morris said
10:10 AM Mar 30, 2021
HI all nomads
all good tips which we wil adopt in some form or other, some listed we had not thought of others are timely reminders
Thanks to all responders
Happy and safe travels
Edmond & Megan
Whenarewethere said
10:47 AM Mar 30, 2021
Gaylehere wrote:
We do disconnect all electrical appliances including fridge and freezer. Yes, we to have had a fridge malfunction whilst away many years ago, never again.
Any car keys, remotes for the roller doors get hidden away.
Our fridge died Christmas day, luckily we were at home & had options. We turn them off when we go away & wedge the doors open with a towel. If you do want to leave a freezer on, at least defrost it before hand & pull it out so it has more air around the compressor.
Write in a diary or somewhere where you hid the keys etc. We had hid the valuables so well we forgot where we hid them!
Whenarewethere said
10:56 AM Mar 30, 2021
Aus-Kiwi wrote:
Settings on F/B should be friends only . Not friends of friends . Or just family ? You have the CHOICE who reads it !! $150 for 4 security cameras . Can easy be connected to wifi, hard drive etc
Our neighbour installed a front door wi-fi camera. It cost less than the discount his insurance company gave him.
We have laminated glass in all our windows.
Tony LEE said
11:00 AM Mar 30, 2021
Big divide between the normal and the obsessively paranoid.
We occasionally get dire warnings about our publically viewable tracking map that shows exactly where we are camping for the night, because, particularly when we were in south America, criminals might be following us and come and rob/kill/rape us.
Yes, I am like a few others. When the motorhome is in the driveway we might be home and when it isn't, we might not be. Or we might be out in the car, or the car might be in the garage, or....
-- Edited by Tony LEE on Tuesday 30th of March 2021 11:05:06 AM
Whenarewethere said
11:29 AM Mar 30, 2021
I cut away the door jamb & cut in a structural 6061aluminium angle, then re-trimmed with thin plywood. That is bolted into 4 rows of bricks & a handful of very long screws screwed into the full width of the door jamb. All repainted so you wouldn't know it's there.
If people want to get in they will, all you can do is hopefully slow them down enough so they go elsewhere.
Lights turning off and on, neighbours playing security guard and old bombs parked in the drive way are all well and good. The issue is, if your house is broken into and set alight or destroyed, will your insurer pay up.
I know that when I was going away from my house for an extended period I rang the insurance company and they informed me that I needed to have someone spend two consecutive nights in the property at least once every 56 days. Failure to do this can lead to the insurer declaring your house "abandoned" and therefore extricate itself from meeting any liability from a claim. All insurance companies have different conditions so the only way to find out is to contact them.
I recall an insurer assessor friend of mine telling me that the more "locked up" a place looked, the more likely it would be broken into.
-- Edited by DMaxer on Tuesday 30th of March 2021 11:36:30 AM
Whenarewethere said
12:41 PM Mar 30, 2021
When we were away my neighbour knocked the brick wall down. Easy to get in!
In previous homes we have been broken into twice. The worst thing is not so much what was taken, it is that someone has been there & has gone through everything.
One break-in there was a bottle of wine in a different place. Speaking to the police, they said that would have been used as a weapon as broken glass, & they said it was best you were not at home.
Thus our increased security.
-- Edited by Whenarewethere on Tuesday 30th of March 2021 01:06:27 PM
Hi Fellow grey nomads,
well the time to head off on the half lap is getting closer and we were wondering what other travellers do when leaving their property?
we will turn off the water and disconnect all electrical items except for freezer, what else do people recommend?
we have children who will be checking on the property occassionally and hopefully my neighbours will be cutting the lawn at the front to keep things tidy.
All our bills are digital so no problems with post ,Your thoughts and advice very welcome
Ed & megan
Cheers,
Peter
Even though you may be thinking that you are only talking to your friends on Face Book etc you are also talking to hundreds, if not thousands of friends of friends to those on your friends list.
It doesn't take long for others to work out when you are away as well as when your children can visit and so on.
It is easy for anyone to plan a time for a break in when no one will be suspecting.
A great way is to have a trusted friend or relative live in while you are away.
You can have timed lights that turn on and off and likewise with TV and radio.
When I started to travel I had security shutters fitted to all openings on the house and left keys and controls with a trusted neighbour.
Junk mail is another problem..I removed my letterbox after our first stint away...the signs on the letterbox don't work.
A good neighbour is valuable in keeping things tidy and a watchful eye on your property.
There is a lot of info from your local police for dos and don'ts for when tou are away so check that info as well.
Yes, that is good advice.
We got caught away for longer than we had planned so contacted our insurance company and they allowed us a longer period until we could get home.
Just a small detail but fairly important if you need to claim.
Hi Stu
thanks for the info
thankfully we live in country Vic so junk mail is not a problem, but i will invest in a couple of timers and check with the insurance company a well
thanks for the great tips
Ed & megan
The good neighbours are invaluable as is notifying insurance companies. Tell them you have neighbours keeping an eye on the place.
We get our neighbour to keep an eye on the verge grass. If it is becoming unkempt they get their Mower Man to do ours when they have theirs cut.
If away for long periods I would empty the freezer. As happened to us twice while away on past trips. One time away for four months and the other only a week The RCD circuit breaker for the kitchen part of the house tripped.
Resulting in the freezer full of Rotting Putrified contents, when our neighbours went inside the house after a couple of weeks.
The second time it was that same circuit RCD tripped both times it was our Pond Pump (on the same RCD) Cable chewed by a RAT we think.
First time we think our neighbour was spraying the pond pump electrical switch while watering the garden.
We have the pump on a different circuit now but still empty the freezer.
how many people go away on holidays then post happy snaps on F/B to tell the world what a good time they are having and won't be back for
so long of time
all good tips which we wil adopt in some form or other, some listed we had not thought of others are timely reminders
Thanks to all responders
Happy and safe travels
Edmond & Megan
Our fridge died Christmas day, luckily we were at home & had options. We turn them off when we go away & wedge the doors open with a towel. If you do want to leave a freezer on, at least defrost it before hand & pull it out so it has more air around the compressor.
Write in a diary or somewhere where you hid the keys etc. We had hid the valuables so well we forgot where we hid them!
Our neighbour installed a front door wi-fi camera. It cost less than the discount his insurance company gave him.
We have laminated glass in all our windows.
Big divide between the normal and the obsessively paranoid.
We occasionally get dire warnings about our publically viewable tracking map that shows exactly where we are camping for the night, because, particularly when we were in south America, criminals might be following us and come and rob/kill/rape us.
Yes, I am like a few others. When the motorhome is in the driveway we might be home and when it isn't, we might not be. Or we might be out in the car, or the car might be in the garage, or....
-- Edited by Tony LEE on Tuesday 30th of March 2021 11:05:06 AM
I cut away the door jamb & cut in a structural 6061aluminium angle, then re-trimmed with thin plywood. That is bolted into 4 rows of bricks & a handful of very long screws screwed into the full width of the door jamb. All repainted so you wouldn't know it's there.
If people want to get in they will, all you can do is hopefully slow them down enough so they go elsewhere.
Lights turning off and on, neighbours playing security guard and old bombs parked in the drive way are all well and good. The issue is, if your house is broken into and set alight or destroyed, will your insurer pay up.
I know that when I was going away from my house for an extended period I rang the insurance company and they informed me that I needed to have someone spend two consecutive nights in the property at least once every 56 days. Failure to do this can lead to the insurer declaring your house "abandoned" and therefore extricate itself from meeting any liability from a claim. All insurance companies have different conditions so the only way to find out is to contact them.
I recall an insurer assessor friend of mine telling me that the more "locked up" a place looked, the more likely it would be broken into.
-- Edited by DMaxer on Tuesday 30th of March 2021 11:36:30 AM
When we were away my neighbour knocked the brick wall down. Easy to get in!
In previous homes we have been broken into twice. The worst thing is not so much what was taken, it is that someone has been there & has gone through everything.
One break-in there was a bottle of wine in a different place. Speaking to the police, they said that would have been used as a weapon as broken glass, & they said it was best you were not at home.
Thus our increased security.
-- Edited by Whenarewethere on Tuesday 30th of March 2021 01:06:27 PM
We ask our son to house sit. It may be risky but no problems so far.