18 Ways to Prepare Your House Before a Vacation
Your bags are packed, tickets purchased, hotel plans confirmed, but what are you forgetting to do at home? There are several simple and effective things you can do to prepare your home for your departure and Lisa is here today to share her list with you. You probably do many of these things but there may be a few you haven’t considered yet like checking the washing machine for wet clothes, clearing the garbage disposal, and stopping the mail. Listen in to hear about what you may want to do to be sure your home is taken care of while you are away.
Check out the link below for a downloadable home preparation checklist that you can print and use when you are getting ready to leave on vacation.
“A few simple steps at home before you leave will add peace of mind while traveling.”
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With a few easy actions, you can set your home (and yourself!) us for success while you are away on vacation.
Make the Call
Ask a friend to stop by your house daily or periodically depending on your needs. Ask her to roll out trash cans, water plants, pick up any packages that are delivered, and look for any water leaks or other house issues.
Put a hold on your mail and newspaper services. Visit USPS to easily put your mail on hold.
Arrange for someone to do yard work if the yard will start to look like it’s being ignored while you are away.
Kitchen To-dos
Empty perishables from the fridge and throw them away.
Run the disposal right before leaving. You could pour some vinegar and hot water in there before running it.
Fill and run the dishwasher. Don’t leave any dirty dishes in the sink or on the counter.
Take out any trash that has food items
Around the House
Turn off all ceiling and floor fans.
Pick up clutter around the house so it’s clean when you return home.
Put a few lamps on timers or plan to use your smart lights while you are away.
Lock all doors and windows.
Help Out the Utilities
Set the thermostat to an eco setting. Or change the temperature to 55 in cold weather and 80-85 in hot weather.
Turn off the main water valve. Allow water to employ from faucets and flush toilets.
Unplug major electronics.
Other Tips
Place all valuables in a home safe or bank safe deposit box.
Don’t hide a house key under a rock or doormat. Give a key to a neighbor, use a lockbox, or keypad entry.
Set a home alarm as you leave the house. No home alarm? You could install a Ring doorbell or set up a motion sensored video camera.
Click here to download a printable Home Preparation Checklist that you can use before every vacation.
I contributed to an article all sharing tips on how to get your family to help prepare for vacations and you can check it out here: Expert Advice to Prepare Your Home for Holiday Vacation.
If you are looking for more practical ways to prepare your house before your travel, check out this post from Teresa Siqueira.
What else do you like to do to get your house ready to leave it when you go on vacation?