Dear all,
With the end of the semester just days away, most of you are probably rushing to finish up schoolwork and pack before heading home for the holidays. Please take a few moments, though, to also prepare your house for your absence. A few precautions taken before leaving can help prevent any grief when you return. Here is a brief checklist:
We will be checking your house periodically while you're away to ensure that the furnace is working, and investigate anything suspicious. Let me know in advance if friends will be staying in your house over the break, else they might get a surprise visit from the police. Finally, please don't forget that rent checks are still due on the first of the month. You might prefer to save yourself a later hassle by mailing a post-dated check now. Any questions or concerns? Give me a call or send me an email.
Have a wonderful and safe holiday!
David Sutherland
With the end of the semester just days away, most of you are probably rushing to finish up schoolwork and pack before heading home for the holidays. Please take a few moments, though, to also prepare your house for your absence. A few precautions taken before leaving can help prevent any grief when you return. Here is a brief checklist:
- Thermostats must be set NO LOWER THAN 55 degrees. This is critically important to ensure that water pipes thoughout the house are protected from freezing. Burst pipes are a potential disaster for both the house and your belongings. If you have a programmable thermostat, it can be easily set to overide your regular program and hold this minimum safe temperature.
- Newspaper and mail delivery should be temporarily suspended, or arrangements made with a friend for regular pickup. An overstuffed mailbox or heap of newpapers is an open invitation to burglars.
- Put a couple of lamps on timers so the house doesn't appear entirely dark in the evening. Programmable timers, costing just a few dollars each, are cheap insurance. A radio playing at a modest volume is another suggestion. Make sure the timers are programmed to turn on at dusk and off by midnight, or so. Leaving porch or Christmas lights on is not recommended as this looks suspicious in daytime. A inside hall light, however, can be left on as it's not highly visible except at night. Make sure that any lights on timers are safely positioned to avoid any risk of fire.
- Consider taking easily transportable valuables, such as jewelry, home with you, or leaving them with a friend. In the unlikely event of a break-in, any loss can be minimized.
- If possible, have a friend who lives nearby check on your house regularly. They can help make your house appear occupied by clearing your front steps and sidewalk of any accumulated snow as well as making tire tracks in the driveway. Make sure they can contact you if needed. As an extra precaution, you might want to leave them my phone number.
We will be checking your house periodically while you're away to ensure that the furnace is working, and investigate anything suspicious. Let me know in advance if friends will be staying in your house over the break, else they might get a surprise visit from the police. Finally, please don't forget that rent checks are still due on the first of the month. You might prefer to save yourself a later hassle by mailing a post-dated check now. Any questions or concerns? Give me a call or send me an email.
Have a wonderful and safe holiday!
David Sutherland
| Contact: |
| David Sutherland |
| 315-446-1144 |
| david@university-homes.com |