Ready for Your Trip? Don’t Forget Your Last-Minute Home Needs

OK, the big date is finally before you. As you get ready for your big vacation, there are a lot of things you’ll have to think about. Of course, you want to be sure you pack your favorite swimsuits and bring enough suntan lotion, but there are a lot of less glamorous aspects to going on a trip that you should keep in mind, too.

Specifically, you want to be sure you take care of your house. The last thing you want is to be lounging on the beach somewhere and suddenly find that your house has been broken into. Let’s do a quick review of things you should keep in mind before setting off on your long-awaited vacay.

Check your doors and windows

Obviously, you want to be sure that your doors are locked and your alarm system is on before you head off on your trip. But you also want to be sure that everything is functioning properly. If you’ve got modern patio doors, for example, you want to be sure that they are properly insulated and that you won’t be allowing unnecessary heat or cold into your home while you’re gone. The same goes for side doors and any others that might not have proper insulation.

Similarly, you should make sure that your windows are completely sealed - especially if you’re traveling in the winter, but not only. You might consider using a caulking instrument to seal any visible cracks, or adding a sheet of plastic to ensure that you prevent outside elements from seeping in.

Take care of your appliances and heating system

Unplugging your appliances is probably the last thing you’re thinking about when preparing for your trip, but it is a good idea to do this. First of all, it will help you conserve energy. In some older buildings that don’t have efficient electrical systems, people unplug all of their appliances when they are not using them, even when they are home. But when you go away for several days or more, you should definitely make sure to go through all your rooms and unplug everything.

Beyond unnecessary energy expenditure, you could run the risk of blowing your circuits in the case of a severe storm. You certainly don’t want to come back from your trip and find that you can no longer turn the lights on. So do it systematically: make sure you cover the washer, dryer, TV, coffee maker, etc.

Also, you obviously don’t want to waste money on your heating bill while you’re out of town. There are different ways that you can manage this, and not come back to a freezing cold house. You can either turn the heat down to a relatively low temperature, so that it heats back up fairly quickly when you get back. Or, you could look into getting a system with a timer on it so that you can program it to turn on a few hours before you get back.

Turn off the water

You don’t want to forget about the water either. If you have leaks while you’re gone, or even worse a pipe bursts, you will have no recourse for days or weeks if you’re away. You don’t want to have to call the neighbors to go and handle the mess you’ve made and make yourself the laughingstock of the neighborhood. Make sure to turn off the water.

Pause your mail

Even though people are receiving less paper mail these days, you’re still going to get some of it. You don’t want to have mail piling up while you’re away, and not only because it will create a big mess. Thieves can be very savvy, and they notice things like people’s absences. You don’t want to make this even more obvious by allowing your mailbox to overflow.

There are a couple of ways that you can handle your mail: You can ask the post office to put a pause on delivery for a certain time period. And you can also pause any subscriptions to make sure magazines and newspapers don’t come to your house while you’re away. Either way, don’t let it slide. You’ll be much more comfortable knowing your house isn’t becoming a potential target for robbers.

Make your house look right

In general, you should take the time to make sure your house looks lived in. Think about the things that you do on a daily basis that keeps your home looking fresh. First of all, you should mow the lawn before you go. Grass growing uncontrollably is another sign that a home isn’t being occupied.

Also, you might want to consider buying timed lights that go on and off at certain times of day. This gives the appearance that people are home, and it will help to keep away unwanted people.

Alert the neighbors

Finally, you should let a trusted neighbor know that you’ll be out so that they can keep their eyes open just in case. You might even want to have someone stop by to water the plants for you. In any case, the more precautions you take before your trip, the better. You want your vacation to be fun and relaxing, and you also want to come back to a home that is secure and free of issues. It might take a bit of extra work at the beginning, but it will be worth it in the end.