Southern Trust Home Services Offers Homeowners Tips on Preparing their Homes for Summer Vacation

"When owners are away, the house can be vulnerable to anything from floods and fires to attempted burglaries," Puzio notes. "Fortunately, there are a few easy things that a homeowner can do to protect their homes while they're away."

Here are some suggestions that Puzio says are important to consider when your home will be empty for at least a week or more:

• Turn off the main water valve that leads into the house. Also check for water leaks. If a water pipe should suddenly burst, you could suffer extensive water damage without anyone even knowing. By the time you return home, rugs, walls and important possessions will already be ruined.
• Put your water heater on a vacation mode – The pilot light will remain on, but you'll save the cost of unnecessary heating. If you have an electric water heater, turn the temperature dial down or turn it off at the circuit breaker panel.
• Turn your air conditioning up to at least 80 degrees or more. There's no sense in spending money to cool an empty house. Consider a wifi thermostat that will let you control the temperature remotely.
• Don't leave lights on 24/7. That's a sure sign that nobody is home, and a green light for a would-be burglar. Use a timer instead to turn lights on and off at set times every day.
• Notify your security company – If you have a security alarm system, notify the monitoring company that you plan to be away. Consider an outside motion sensor that will alert your neighbors and police if anyone attempts a break-in.
• Mow your lawn right before you leave. An overgrown yard is another way intruders can tell if no one has been home.
• Do not overshare on social media – Don't share your date of departure on social media. Why make yourself an easy target by telling the world that there's no one at home?

For Roanoke-area homeowners who want extra advice about preparing a home for vacation, Southern Trust Home Services can help with additional suggestions as well as a variety of home improvement needs. For more information, please call 540-343-4348 or visit www.southerntrusthomeservices.com.

About Southern Trust Home Services
Founded in 1995 as Southern State Electric, Southern Trust Home Services provides 24/7 emergency services for 60 plus cities in southern Virginia. Specializing in residential plumbing, electrical and HVAC work, Southern Trust Home Services staffs are dedicated, certified, licensed and insured, drug and criminal background checked technicians who provide timely, same-day services for a variety of home repairs, installations and maintenance. A Better Business Bureau accredited company since 2006, Southern Trust Home Services has financing available including 0 percent for 18 months, and Lifetime Repair Guarantee on stated repairs. To find out more, call 540-343-4348 or visit www.southerntrusthomeservices.com. 

MEDIA CONTACT:
Heather Ripley
Ripley PR
865-977-1973
[email protected]

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SOURCE Southern Trust Home Services

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