When you’re a frequent traveler and tend to be gone for long periods at a time, keeping a house may not make much sense. However, having a home base that you can return to after long bouts of travel may be better both in the short run and in the long run, and it also serves as a place to keep all of your worldly possessions.
But how do you maintain your home if you spend more time traveling than living in it? From home security to paying the mortgage loan, there are a lot of responsibilities that you have to handle as a homeowner. Nevertheless, they don’t have to keep you from enjoying your travels to the fullest, and here are the best ways to do that:
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Set Up Auto Payment
For all your household-related bills, such as the mortgage, utilities, HOA fees, and more, set up auto payments so that you don’t miss a single one. This way, you can keep your bills paid without having to think about it while you’re traveling, thus preventing late fees, docks in your credit score, or getting your accidentally getting your utilities shut off.
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Rent Out Your House
Putting up your home for rent is a great way to earn extra income while you’re away, which you can use to pay the mortgage or offset some of your travel expenses. More than that, having people occupy your house while you’re gone is one of the best ways to prevent burglaries since criminals target houses that are frequently left unoccupied.
However, be sure to consider the disadvantages as well before putting your house up for rent. For one, you can’t be a hundred percent sure that the tenant you choose will treat your property well. Moreover, you have to deal with maintenance, taxes, insurance, and all those other things as a landlord, although you can always hire a property management company to do it for you, but for an extra cost.
If you don’t want to rent out the house formally, you may want to consider renting it out to a close friend or family member on an informal agreement. But, of course, you don’t have anything legal to hold onto when something goes wrong, so make sure you choose your tenant carefully.
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Hire Maintenance
While you’re gone, dust will still gather, windows will get dirty, grass will grow longer, and hedges will become overgrown. That said, it is essential that you have someone come over to clean your house and do yard work regularly. Not only does this help make your house look occupied, but it will ensure that your home doesn’t deteriorate due to lack of maintenance, even if no one is using it.
You can look for a company that does both interior and exterior upkeep to save money and make the process easier. Alternatively, you can pay a family member, a close friend, or a neighbor to maintain your property for you.
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Invest in Home Security
Even if there are going to be people occupying your house while you’re gone, it is always a good idea to invest in a high-quality home security system to keep your property and its occupants safe. Aside from a security system with alarms, cameras, and remote access, you can also invest in other home security upgrades like:
- Biosecurity locks
- Strong padlocks for exterior structures
- Security fences and anti-climbing features
- Perimeter alarms
- Home security signage for deterring criminals
- A fake TV light to make it look like someone is watching TV inside
- Motion sensor lights
- Lights that you can control remotely
- Stronger door frames
- Window sensors
- Anti-burglary glass
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Keep Your Valuables in A Safe Place
We don’t mean a safe inside your house that burglars can take and open elsewhere; we mean safety deposits in banks, storage units, or trusted loved ones’ safes. Before you leave, gather up all of your valuables (jewelry, important documents, electronics, money, antique pieces, heirlooms, etc.) and transfer them to more secure places.
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Eliminate Unnecessary Subscriptions
If you’re going to be traveling most of the time, consider ceasing your cable, local gym membership, magazines, newspapers, and other subscriptions that you won’t be getting the most out of anyway. Instead, put that money towards your travel expenses, investments, mortgage payments, and other more important things.
Being a frequent traveler and a homeowner at the same time can be challenging, but it can very well be worth the hassle in the end. These tips, however, can make home maintenance, security, and mortgage payments a lot easier, so be sure to follow them before setting off on your next big adventure.
