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So, you’ve been planning the big RV trip for a while. You’ve made a way to spend an extended time away from home either working remotely or just being off the clock. You are really looking forward to exploring the great places out there. But wait, what about the house?
Here’s my story… First, I think it is pretty important to have peace of mind about your house while on the road and I want to share the things I’ve learned firsthand to help you have a better time away when you travel.
I have now done several extended trips away from home working remotely in my trailers. This past extended Florida trip, I actually had my house thermostat die mid-winter. It could have been a real disaster but wasn’t. There were several precautions that were in place that helped avoid this potential nightmare. I’ll elaborate more on what happened and the solution as we go on and I’ll include the most important thing to have while away.
Here a few things to consider:
Video Doorbell (Ring/Nest Hello) – It will help you see who is at the front door. It captures short videos when there is motion at the front door, but you need to be careful with the sensitivity, especially if you are pointing to a busy road.
It can also show you when packages are dropped off. Say you mistakenly send a package to your default Amazon address when away or someone sends you a package while you are away. You can actually answer when someone rings the bell, making it appear you are at home, but I’ve found that this can be delayed if you have bandwidth issues.
It will also allow you to see when/if snow services or lawn care are being done. A contractor can’t claim that services happened when they didn’t, so you can ensure service are being performed when they are supposed to be.
Here’s a tip: Have good internet and a fast Wi-Fi router at your house, and don’t unplug it accidentally before you leave!
Wi-Fi Cameras – There can allow you to see what is going on inside and outside of the house. Ring has doorbell cameras but also has indoor and outdoor cameras that tie to their system. Google Nest also has similar WIFI camera setups, both indoor and outdoor cameras. There are also other WIFI cameras available from other manufacturers. These allow you to monitor the interior and exterior areas of the house and see anything anytime from your smartphone. You can also record video when there is motion near the camera.
Here’s a tip: If you buy or have a WIFI camera that can swivel, put the camera where it can swivel to see both inside and outside areas.
Weather Station – A good one will keep you aware of internal and external temps and allow for visual monitoring of the temperatures via the aforementioned Wi-Fi camera. This was what helped in determining that my thermostat had died. I reviewed the camera feed live daily while away and noticed that the normal 58-degree indoor temp from my weather station was not being held. 58 degrees became 54 degrees, then 49, then 46 over a couple of days. At this point I knew there was a problem. More on the story as we move on.
Here’s a tip: Make sure the battery for the external sensor on your weather station is tested and/or replaced before leaving on your trip!
Water Alarms – These can save you from a huge water disaster! You can buy small Wi-Fi enabled water alarms that will send a message to you if the alarm has sounded. They work when water contacts the alarm and are pretty loud. I have them near my house water heater and other areas that may have issue in a monumental rain event.
Here’s a tip: Test the alarms and replace batteries before leave for your trip!
Programmable Lights – There can make the house look lived in while you are away. I use a combination of some of the basic timers on a few interior lights and the better ones that replace light switches and have a random vacation mode. These work well for outdoor lights by being able to set a dusk to dawn setting (i.e. porch light) and also work well if you want interior lights to come on randomly at night. These better light timers can be expensive but work very well.
Here’s a tip: Decide on which lights to invest more for greater effect. I wouldn’t put an expensive Honeywell random light in my basement, for example!
Nextdoor – This a local social network to monitor neighborhood issues. It is like a Facebook where only local neighbors can join. It lets you keep track of neighborhood news and events. It also provides a way to private message close-by neighbors if you need help while away. Lately this service has become very commercialized but still has some merit.
Here’s a tip: Try to avoid broadcasting your absence to your neighbors. I have used Nextdoor to monitor local events only. More on this later.
USPS Mail Hold – The US Postal Service will hold or forward mail so mail doesn’t accumulate at your house. They allow for 30-day maximum mail hold. If you decide to do a trip longer than 30 days, you may need an alternative vs a multiple 30 day holds. You can have mail forwarded, but it only works if you will be in one location while away. There are paid for services that will accumulate and send your mail on but we will have to cover this at another time.
Here’s a tip: If you’ll be gone less than 30 days, you can set up an online hold. For more than 30 days talk to your local postmaster about options.
Garbage Hold– Did you know many waste management companies will give you a credit for services unused? It is called a vacation hold and you should call your service and inquire about it. It was unknown to me that you can be credited for weeks of unused service.
Here’s a tip: Try to leave with empty trash cans. Ask a neighbor to pull your cans from the street if service is after you leave.
Lawncare/Snow Service – You’ll want to ensure your house looks lived in while gone. Lawncare needs to continue while you are away, so make sure you use a reliable service. Likewise, snow service of your driveway needs to happen while you are gone. Again, use someone reliable and remember that you can see if they show up if you have a Ring or another brand WIFI video doorbell.
Here’s a tip: See if your lawn service or snow service will accept electronic payments, to avoid having to send checks in the mail while you are away. Also, start the services before you leave to ensure you are pleased with the reliability and quality.
Trusted Neighbor or Friend Nearby – This can be vital in emergencies. So here is the conclusion of my story. When in Florida, I realized the house was cooling down while away by daily looking at my live video feed. Once I realized that we had a heating problem, I contacted a trusted neighbor and let them know. This neighbor was already trusted before I left – as we both had RVs and I had shown them my new trailers when I purchased them. I had preestablished rapport and trust. They understood my dilemma right away and could relate and asked what they could do to help. After a call to my contracted local HVAC company, my trusted neighbor let the HVAC person into the house. It was quickly discovered that it was only the thermostat that had failed. This was a huge relief as a furnace repair or replacement would have been a large ordeal. Within a few hours, the house was fine again.
The above is an example of an HVAC contract service from BelAire Heating and Air Conditioning in Portage Michigan (belaire.com)
Here are a couple of closing tips: Develop a mutual friendship with a trusted neighbor. Look for anyone who also RVs and make sure they can be discrete. Also, think about a service contract with a local dependable HVAC company. This ensured I was prioritized for service and at a lower rate on parts and labor.
So, there’s my story and some things to consider before that big RV trip or snowbird excursion you have been looking forward to. Hopefully you’ve found a few things you can do to bolster monitoring the home front so you can really enjoy that long-awaited extended trip away.
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