Summer has finally arrived, and the best part is going on vacation. But it's always a concern to leave the house alone. So here’s a checklist of everything you need to do to prevent (as much as possible) flooding, fire, or theft, among other things. 1.Disconnect all electrical appliances, especially the TV, DVD, etc. This is to prevent short circuits that could cause a fire. 2.Turn off the water supply to the house to avoid flooding. 3.Make sure all windows, doors, and any other access points to the house are closed, including the garage door and/or basement windows. 4.Leave the dishwasher open if you are going to be away for many days; if you leave it closed, it may produce a bad smell. 5.Throw away or give away all food that needs refrigeration or that you know will expire. You don’t want to come home to find spoiled food. 6.Make sure trash cans are empty and clean. 7.Check that the gas supply in places like the kitchen or heating is turned off. 8.If you have an alarm system installed, it’s a good idea to give a family member the alarm code, in case of an emergency. 9.Ask someone you trust completely to collect your mail and keep the door free of flyers or newspapers that can accumulate and reveal that the house is empty. 10.Provide these same people with keys to your house for emergencies or to check that everything is in order. Give them a phone number where they can reach you in case of an emergency. 11.Leave a light on or set a timer for it to turn on every night so that it doesn’t look like the house is empty. 12.Hide jewelry, money, and other valuables. 13.Keep car keys in a safe place; often when thieves break in, they also take the cars. 14.Never leave messages on your answering machine or social media indicating that you are traveling; it’s better to inform others of your departure once you have returned to the city. 15.Always keep a secure copy of all your important or valuable documents, such as records, certificates, invoices, or valuables, to facilitate their identification in case of theft.

Safe travels!

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