How To Prepare Your Home Before Vacation
It’s a wonderful feeling to be headed out on vacation. There is usually a lot of anticipation and pre-planning for the journey. While you may be excited for what lies ahead, it’s also a good idea to prepare your home for travel so that you can have peace of mind while you are away.
If you are wondering how to prepare your home before vacation, take a look at these 10 tips.
1. Arrange for someone to check on your home.
You can enlist a relative, friend or even a neighbor to do this for you. You can have them do an extensive check or simply ask them to do a periodic drive-by when they can.
2. Leave a vehicle in the driveway.
Leaving a vehicle in the driveway makes it appear that someone is home. This is a good idea to help detour unwanted guests. At the same time, it can also save you from having to cover the cost of long-term airport parking.
3. Make sure home alarms or video monitoring systems are working.
Do a precheck to ensure that you are able to remotely access your security devices. If you have an alarm company that manages your home security, be sure to notify them of your absence.
4. Pay your bills.
You don’t want to return home to have to deal with a mountain of bills. Even worse than that, don’t be that person who returns home to find that utilities and services have been interrupted as a result of past due payments. Ensure that you cover all of your overhead bills so that you can return with peace of mind.
5. Unplug non-essential appliances.
Doing this can help prevent fires in the event that power surges were to occur while you are away. Televisions & microwaves are examples of items that can be plugged out. As an added bonus, unplugging items may also save you a few dollars on your next electricity bill.
6. Empty the trash.
Never leave trash sitting. Do a sweep of your home just before you leave to ensure that every bin, including bathroom and bedrooms, have been emptied.
7. Clean out the refrigerator.
Based on your length of travel, it’s a good idea to get rid of items that could age while you are away. Dairy products like milk and cheese, produce items like some fruits and vegetables, and leftover foods should be discarded. Anything prone to mold should also be thrown out.
8. Lock all windows and doors.
This is extremely important especially in instances where something may be obstructing the view to these areas. Ensure that you lock up to safeguard your home against unauthorized entry.
9. Time your house lights.
Set your lights to turn on and off at a specific time. This is especially useful at nighttime when there is less visibility. For outdoor purposes, installing flood lights is also a good low maintenance option. These lights will turn on by themselves as soon as night approaches and will automatically turn off at dawn.
10. Clean up your home.
It’s quite refreshing to return home to a clean space. Be sure to tidy things up before you leave so that you can kick your feet up and do nothing for a few hours after you return.
Hope this guide helps. Happy Travels!
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