To go on vacation with peace of mind, there are solutions to have your home monitored “from afar” by a neighbor or relative or by regular visits by the police. But the most reassuring thing is to install temporary residents in your home during your absence who not only ensure that your home is not empty and is watched, but can also provide gardening, maintenance or animal care. Overview of the different possibilities to have your house kept during your holidays.
The basic way to have your house guarded during your holidays is to install an alarm system which, in the event of an intrusion into your home, alerts by telephone a surveillance company with which you will have previously subscribed to a paid subscription. .
As part of the “Tranquillité vacances” operation set up by the State, you can benefit from the surveillance of your home by regular rounds carried out by the police or the gendarmerie during your absence. This free service makes it possible to be warned in the event of anomalies observed during the passages of the police forces. All you have to do is go to your police station or gendarmerie to ask to benefit from this device.
During a prolonged absence, the best way to keep your house is to install one or more people temporarily. For this, you can opt for the exchange of accommodation. This practice is growing more and more. It consists of lending your house or apartment for free in exchange for the same service for you in your host's accommodation. The advantage is that your house is occupied. On the other hand, the people you welcome in this way are not supposed to do minor maintenance work on your home.
Especially if you live in a tourist area, you can put your house up for seasonal rental. A good way to collect some money and also to see your home occupied during your holidays. As this is a paid occupancy, you cannot ask your tenants to take care of your animals or plants, for example.
During your holidays, you can leave your house to volunteer residents. This practice is called “home-sitting”. They are mostly retired people who offer their services through companies or specialized associations. The latter are paid for putting house owners in touch with volunteer guardians.
These volunteer residents occupy your accommodation free of charge while taking care of the plants, the garden, the mail and possibly your animals. By coming to live with you temporarily, their motivation is to discover a new region, to change their habits, to take care of animals but also the desire to help. For owners, it is the assurance of going on vacation in peace.
