Keep Your Home Safe and Sound While Away on Vacation

Prescott, Arizona, has received numerous accolades for being a great vacation place. Still, if you are a Prescott resident, you may leave our beautiful area and vacation elsewhere. You must take simple strategies to ensure your home is safe while you are gone.
Planning a vacation can be exciting, but it also comes with its own set of worries, particularly regarding the safety of your home. Ensuring your home remains secure while you’re away is crucial to having a stress-free trip. With a few strategic precautions, you can protect your home from potential threats and enjoy your vacation to the fullest.
Smart Locks
Smart locks control access to your home from anywhere using your smartphone. You can lock and unlock doors remotely, provide temporary access codes to trusted individuals, and receive notifications when someone enters your home. This technology adds an extra layer of security and convenience.
Inform Trusted Neighbors
Having trusted neighbors aware of your absence can be valuable in keeping your home safe. They can monitor your property and alert you or the authorities if they notice anything suspicious.
Inform your neighbors of your travel plans, including the dates you’ll be away and any expected visitors or deliveries. This knowledge allows them to identify unusual activity and take appropriate action if necessary.
Exchange contact information with your neighbors so they can reach you in an emergency. Ensure they have your phone number and email address, and provide them with a backup contact if they can’t reach you directly.
Create the Illusion of Occupancy
Making it look like someone is home is one of the most effective ways to deter burglars. There are several strategies you can use to create the illusion of occupancy.
- Set timers for lights, televisions, and radios to turn on and off at various times throughout the day. This creates the appearance of normal activity and makes it harder for burglars to determine if the house is empty.
- An overgrown lawn or neglected garden can signal that no one is home. Arrange for someone to mow your lawn and maintain your yard while you’re away. This upkeep gives the impression that the house is occupied.
- A pile of mail or newspapers is a clear sign of an empty home. Temporarily pause these deliveries or ask a neighbor to collect them for you. This simple step can prevent burglars from realizing you’re away.
- Automated lighting can make it appear like someone is home, even when you’re away. Set timers or use smart bulbs to turn lights on and off at random intervals. This illusion of occupancy can deter potential burglars looking for unoccupied homes.
Worth the Time Investment
Protecting your home while you’re on vacation doesn’t have to be a daunting task. By implementing these precautionary safety tips, you can ensure your home remains safe and secure during your absence. Each step plays a crucial role in deterring potential threats, from installing a reliable security system to making it appear as though someone is home.
Remember, a little preparation goes a long way in safeguarding your home. Take the time to invest in these protective measures, and you’ll be able to enjoy your vacation with peace of mind.
We sincerely hope you stay safe and have a great vacation. As I mentioned before, Prescott is a fantastic place to go to on vacation. If you are considering purchasing a vacation home or a vacation rental, we would love to show you what is available. Contact us at (928) 830-6976.
Questions for Sellers to Ask Agents

Selling your home is a big decision. It’s a process filled with excitement, challenges, and paperwork. However, choosing the right real estate agent is one of the most crucial steps in this process. The agent you select can significantly impact your selling experience and, ultimately, the final sale price. This blog post aims to guide home sellers by providing a comprehensive list of essential questions to ask potential real estate agents. By the end, you’ll feel more confident and informed, ready to decide what best suits your needs.
Different Types of Agents
First, you’ll want to work with an agent representing sellers as most of their business. It is common for real estate agents to find their niche or specialty; they typically become an agent who lists homes and are ‘Seller’s Agents,’ or they find homes for their clients and are ‘Buyer’s Agents.’ You’ll find that many agents have experience on the buying and selling sides of the situation. Still, when selling a home, working with an agent who has dedicated most of their time to working with sellers is optimal.
Having rapport with your agent is essential. Working with someone you like and who will communicate well with you is ideal. Another effective way to sort the amateurs from the pros is to look at the agent’s track record.
Here are some direct questions that will help you compare agent experience and performance:
- How many continuous years have you been in real estate?
- How many homes did you sell last year as the seller’s agent?
- Of the homes you’ve sold in the past year, what was the average number of days the house was on the market from the initial listing date until the final accepted offer?
- Looking at your past 12 months of closed sales, what is the percentage of the final selling price compared to the initial listing price?
- How much will you charge me to sell my home? What sort of marketing efforts does this cover?
- Do you have an assistant to help you sell homes?
- Does your company’s owner consider you one of your office’s top producers?
These questions may seem somewhat blunt, but full-time agents with a career built on selling homes should be acceptable, answering you to the best of their ability. Selling your home is significant and should be handled by analyzing your options.
About The Plane Team
For over 15 years, we have served our clients and provided them with excellent service in residential real estate, both resale and new home sales. As a resale agent, I have achieved Agent of the Month, Top Ten Agent of the Year, Multi-Million Dollar Club, and International Diamond Society. As the sales manager for new homes, I sold over 300 homes and custom lots in the luxury golf communities of Prescott and Prescott Valley, Arizona.
As your Realtors, we will guide you through the buying and selling and help you reach your real estate goals! We work hard to provide you with the resources and tools for a successful and smooth transaction.
Give us a call today, and we will be happy to answer your questions! Get in touch with me today 928.830.6976!
Smart Ways Homeowners Can Cut Cooling and Heating Costs

If one household expense can leave you hot under the collar or chilled to the bone, it’s the cost of keeping your home at a comfortable temperature. Air conditioning and heating costs are a significant part of your utility bills, but they don’t have to break the bank. Whether you want to save money or make your home more comfortable, you can employ several smart strategies to keep your HVAC system running efficiently.
1. Programmable Thermostat: Installing a programmable thermostat can help you save money on your heating and cooling bills by allowing you to set specific temperatures for different times of the day. For example, you can select the temperature to lower when you are asleep or out of the house and rise when you are home and awake. You may want to consider a Smart thermostat. With advanced features like learning capabilities and remote access, these devices are designed to optimize your HVAC system’s performance and lower energy bills. Use your smartphone to adjust your home’s temperature from anywhere, ensuring you never waste energy heating or cooling an empty house. Some smart thermostats even geofence your area, automatically adjusting the temperature based on your proximity to home.
2. Seal Those Leaks: On average, heating and cooling account for almost half of a home’s energy consumption. One way to reduce energy loss and save money on your heating or cooling bills is to weatherstrip your doors and windows. Weatherstrip will help to keep the cool or warm air inside your home and prevent it from escaping. (Tip: Take simple steps like caulking windows, sealing leaks around chimneys and recessed lighting, and sliding draft guards under your doors to save up to 20% on heating costs.) The minor leaks can be equivalent to leaving open a 3-foot-by-3-foot window.
3. Change Your Air Filters Regularly: Like any other mechanical system, your HVAC unit needs regular maintenance to operate at its best. Neglecting maintenance can lead to decreased efficiency, higher energy costs, and a shorter lifespan for your system. One of the simplest yet most effective maintenance tasks is regularly changing your air filters. Clogged filters can restrict airflow, making your system work harder to push air through and lowering efficiency.
4. Utilize Ceiling Fans: Proper airflow is essential for maintaining a comfortable indoor environment. Ceiling fans, box fans, and window fans can all help circulate air, making a home feel cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter without significantly increasing energy use. Run your ceiling fans counterclockwise in the summer to create a breeze that makes the room feel cooler. In the winter, reverse the direction to circulate warm air that’s risen to the ceiling back down to the living space. Running fans in rooms that are occupied can allow you to set your thermostat a few degrees higher in the summer and lower in the winter. This can provide significant energy savings without sacrificing comfort.
5. Be Mindful of Your Lighting: In the winter, take advantage of natural daylight by opening blinds and curtains during the day. In the summer, do the opposite and close them to keep the heat out. And no matter what time of year it is, use energy-efficient lighting whenever possible. LEDs are a great example of how innovation and technology can make your life easier. They last 25 times longer and consume up to 90 percent less electricity than incandescent bulbs. (Tip: By switching five of your home’s most frequently used bulbs with ENERGY STAR® certified LEDs, it’s possible to save $75 on energy costs annually.)
By making a few upgrades to your home, you’ll save on your utility bills and improve your home’s energy efficiency. When you’re ready to sell your house, these key features will make it even more attractive to potential buyers. Contact the Plane Team at (928) 830-6976 when you are ready to discuss what buyers are looking for regarding energy efficiency options in our area.