Getting your Home Vacation Ready

To give yourself peace of mind while you are away, there are a few things to attend to before you leave.

Secure Entrances

Lock all windows and doors, and for sliding doors and windows consider a stick or long piece of wood to help secure them in place. Remove any spare or hidden keys and move keys out of reach if someone makes it inside. You may also consider disabling the garage door opener, and make sure to lock the inner garage door.

Protect Valuables

Keep valuables out of site or even move them to a locked safe deposit back. You may also want to consider taking photos of important items for insurance purposes. Make sure to park your car in a safe and secure place. If you don’t have access to off-street parking, make sure to lookup what your local laws are. Some areas you may not be able to park longer than 48-72 hours without moving your car. You may need to even make arrangements for paid parking.

Prepare for Emergencies

If you have an Alarm system, make sure to arm it before you leave. No alarm? You may want to install simple motion activated outdoor floodlights to deter burglars. You can also notify the alarm company and/or the police of your travel plans, so they are aware in the event of a break in or other emergency.

Make the Home Looked Lived In

You don’t want to advertise that your home is alone, but you also don’t want to try to hard that it looks out of place. Leave your curtains how they normally are, unless it’s really easy to see valuables in your home. Choose to leave a light on, or use timers to turn lights on and off at the normal times. You may also want to put a timer on a TV or radio to simulate sound. Stop newspapers and other deliveries and also make sure to have your mail put on hold. Mute any home phone ringers, and turn off any daily alarms. Don’t forget about the outside of your home? If you are gone a long time you may want to hire a landscaper to keep things looking good. You may also ask a neighbor to park in your driveway every so often to simulate people coming and going. Another option would be to just hire a house sitter.

Electricity, Heat, and Water

There are a lot of little tasks to consider to lessen the amount of electricity, heat, and water used while you are away. This includes unplugging small appliances to avoid electricity waste as well adjusting the thermostat to a minimum of 55 degrees in winter to avoid frozen pipes (and in the high 70’s in the summer.) In addition to setting the thermostat, make sure vents are clear and unblocked. You may also want to open closet doors and cabinet doors to increase airflow (very important in winter) and to avoid musty smells. Other ways to save on electricity is to dial down the temperature on the water heater. Also prior to leaving check for leaky faucets or irrigation and get those fixed, and make sure to winterize and flush out any water to prevent frozen pipes.

Keep it Clean

Before leaving make sure to do a deep clean. Nothing is better than coming home to a clean home. Make sure to clean out the fridge, do dishes, and leave no unfinished laundry. Make sure to clean drains and sinks to avoid bad smells and clean the garbage disposal with distilled white vinegar and water. To prevent rings in your toilet add ½ cup chlorine. Beyond taking out the trash, consider air freshener plug ins or reed diffusers to keep your home smelling nice.

Miscellaneous To Dos

Other things to handle before you leave is taking care of your pets by boarding them, leaving them with friends or family, or hiring a pet sitter. Prep your plants with self watering by putting a water filled wine bottle in the soil. Spray your home for bugs, and set up traps for unwanted pests. And if you haven’t pay your bills or setup auto payment.

Communication is Key

Let family, friends, or a neighbor know your plans. You may want to provide them with a folder containing emergency contacts and your itinerary. You can also provide them a spare key and ask them to check in every now and then. You may also ask a neighbor to collect any packages that are left on your porch.

But Don’t Invite the Uninvited

Lastly, don’t advertise the dates you’ll be gone on social media. It’s tempting to gush about your upcoming trip, but I tend to leave details vague. It is also hard to not share those amazing photos online, but it is better to wait until you get home or only use social platforms that aren’t public.

Preparing for your Return

Keys in Hand

I also like to prepare my home for my return. First, make sure you know where your house key is. Nothing is worse than arriving home after a long trip, and having to dump out your bags searching for your keys.

Everything in its Place

With the above advice to tidy the house, I also like to make sure the dishwasher and laundry is empty, that way when I come home, I can immediately unpack and start a load of laundry. I often like to put away all my things before settling back in at home, so that way when I’m done everything is clean and in its place, it’s a nice feeling.

Well Supplied

Nothing is worse than coming home, tired after a long travel day, and realizing you have nothing to eat. I often stock my freezer with frozen dinners and the pantry with ready to make oatmeal so I have meals when I need them. So make it easier on yourself and make a supply run prior to leaving. To know if you lost power to your fridge while you were gone freeze a cup of water and once frozen put a quarter on top. If the power goes out long enough for items to unthaw and then re-freeze (eww) you’ll find the quarter near the bottom of the glass. If that happens throw out all food.

Relaxing in Comfort

I always make sure to have freshly washed sheets and bedding, and have the bed made up for my return. If you are really organized, lay out a set of night clothes so you can slip into them.