Keeping Home Secure While On Tour

Touring with the band for weeks and even months at a time is awesome, but like Dorothy said there is still no place like home. For some of us though, there is no one back home fanning those fires while we are away, making it necessary to find ways to make sure that the house is still standing once the tour is over.

Hire a House Sitter

This is the absolute best thing you can do to protect the house while you are away. Ideally the sitter should be someone close to you and able to stay at your house while you are away. This would be a my home is your home type of set up. For it to work you need to do a few things first:

  • Set Ground Rules: You may think you wouldn’t have to tell an adult not to throw parties in your house while you are out of town, but you should at least mention it. This isn’t you being petty, there is a certain liability you would still be responsible for if your house sitter decided to open the doors to your house to his or her whole list of acquaintances.
  • Stock the Fridge: For the most part, your house sitter will be responsible for his or her own meals, but it would be a nice gesture on your part to set them up to start. Especially with seasonings and condiments that they would use to cook with.
  • Secure Your Dog: Not everyone is going to be in love with your dog as much as you are. Invest in a petsafe wireless pet containment system to keep your pet and sitter as far apart as possible. Your dog is going to be upset that you are gone, but if you have a petsafe wireless pet containment system in place (check it out here) you will be disrupting their life as little as possible, while not leaving your sitter terrorized.
  • Be Clear on the Responsibilities: Make sure that your sitter knows exactly what they need to do. Make a list and include such things as bring in the mail, water the plants, feed the dog. This may seem second nature to you, but a house sitter may need some reminding.
  • Bill Paying: You should have an emergency stash of cash available for your sitter in case of a sudden emergency. Pipes seem to wait until we are gone before deciding to burst. Also try to have as many of your normal monthly bills set up on auto pay through your bank account. If there is anything that your sitter will have to take care of for you make sure that they know exactly where, when and for how much and that you have left them the money for this.
  • Make Sure to Stay in Touch: You are the one moving around a lot, so make sure to check in often with your house sitter. They should have a basic itinerary for where you are in the event of an emergency, plus a phone number of someone who definitely will in case your plans have changed.

If you want to get home from touring and just crawl right into your own bed worry free, you will have to have someone watching over your home for you. Pick someone you trust and know is reliable and you will be able to focus on playing great music while they are focused on taking care of your home.