You’ve purchased the airfare, packed your suitcase, and dusted off your passport. But wait, don’t forget the ever-important step to prepare your home before you travel to your vacation destination.
Whether you’re leaving home for business or pleasure, it’s always smart to ensure your home is ready for you to be away. Look no further for some tips on how to prepare your home before you travel.
1) Consider home safety
Before you leave for any period, it’s vital that you consider your home overall safety. Check out your smoke detectors and do a scan of your plumbing and electrical to ensure no obvious issues before you leave.
Other safety factors to think about? Have there been any burglaries in your neighborhood before? Do you trust your neighbors to keep an eye on things while you’re away? It’s also smart and safe to unplug appliances like the toaster or coffee pot to limit the risk of fire.
2) Prepare your exterior
Taking care of the home exterior is a great way to not tip off anyone that you are away from home. Remember to mow your lawn or complete any necessary snow removal, as well as cleaning all the debris from your gutters with the help of somewhere like Clean Pro Gutter Cleaning Fort Worth before departing. Also, do not neglect trash day. Ask a friend or neighbor to help. Plus, remember to remove your spare exterior hidden key, and lock all windows and doors.
3) Let there be light
Have a lamp or two set on timers for while you’re away. It’s not ideal to leave the house dark, but also looks obvious if a light is on 24/7. These timers are easily accessible and a simple solution to ensure your home doesn’t look vacant.
4) Pause the newspaper and mail
Having a stack of newspapers or an overflowing mailbox can make the home look suspicious and like someone is away. By simply calling and putting a pause on these services, you can save yourself the headache of a potential break-in or a big mess when you arrive home. You can even pause your USPS mail online!
5) Stop the stink
Before you leave for vacation, remember to dispose of any perishable food in your fridge or cabinets. Run your garbage disposal with some vinegar and water inside and remember to take the trash outside to stop any smelly odors from lingering while you’re away. Also, tackle any dirty laundry that may be lying around. if you don’t, you might come back to a house full of rats or other pests, which can be a nightmare. And while there are plenty of exterminators that you can reach out to in your area (similar to the Kentucky professionals from https://www.pestcontrolexperts.com/local/kentucky/ or similar sites), do you really want to do that after spending a blissful vacation outdoors?
6) Make quick home repairs
The last thing you want is for something to go haywire when you’re not home. By making quick home repairs (similar to ones you may make before you sell your home), you can ensure that you’ll come back to a safe and happy humble abode. Click here for a list of quick home repairs that are perfect for before you leave for vacation.
7) Prepare for your return
No one wants to come home to a dirty, musty house. Before you leave for vacation, consider doing a quick tidy of your space, change your sheets and make the bed, and consider adding some plug-in wall scents for a fresh smell when you arrive home.