Whether you’re jetting off for a two-week cruise or sneaking off for one last weekend away before school starts, leaving your home for any extended period of time requires a little planning. You’ve probably heard the usual tips: put a stop on your mail and newspapers, set your alarm, be sure your pets and plants are taken care of and give your neighbors a heads-up that you’ll be away. But there are other things you can do to avoid any unforeseen crisis or damage while you’re away. As you create lists of things to take with you, add this list of 10 things to accomplish before you leave home:
Vacation Prep Tip #1: If You Can’t Stand the Heat…It Doesn’t Matter.
During the summer, it’s unbearable to think about not having the AC turned to a comfortable, cool temperature. When you are getting ready to leave home, though, you should be turning the temperature up to 85 or so. You won’t be home to deal with the heat, and you’ll save money by turning it up, as well. Every degree you turn up on the thermostat saves you 2% on cooling costs. [source]
Vacation Prep Tip #2: Turn Off the Water
Switch off your home’s water at the main shut-off valve before you leave. This will prevent you from arriving home to puddles of leaks around the house. For those who need or want to keep the water on for someone checking on the house, lawn sprinklers or a pool, make sure your drains are running freely before you leave. If a drain is clogged, water can overflow on the floor. For times when you will be away from home for several months, have a neighbor turn the water back on and run the faucets, toilets and dishwasher at least monthly. [source]
Vacation Prep Tip #3: Unplug
No reason to rack up the electric bill when you’re not home. Be sure to unplug electronics around the house before you leave, such as TVs, computers, hair dryers, and lamps. It will conserve energy and money. [source]
Vacation Prep Tip #4: Check the Storm Drains
Check to be sure the storm drains on your home are flowing freely. In the event that a big storm comes through while you’re away, you could come home to a flood [Today]. Talk about a damper on your vacay!
Vacation Prep Tip #5: Give Your Water Heater a Vacation, Too
Many water heaters come equipped with a “vacation mode” setting. This means that the water heater will run occasionally, but not nearly as much as normal. You will also spend less money on that particular bill for that period of time. [source]
Vacation Prep Tip #6: Look for Leaks
Before you enter vacation mode, check for leaks throughout your home—feel for valves under faucets, check under sinks, etc. If they’re moist, have a plumber out to inspect them before you leave, so that any leaks you might have can be fixed before you head out of town. [source]
Vacation Prep Tip #7: Clean Out the Fridge
To avoid returning home to the smell of (really) old leftovers in the fridge, be sure to throw out any food that will expire while you’re away [source]. Also, if you’re not going to turn off the water, be sure to at least shut off the ice maker valve while you’re away.
Vacation Prep Tip #8: Think About Lighting
Turn off all the lights in your home to conserve energy and avoid unnecessary electrical bills. You should leave a few lights on as a security measure, though, so your home doesn’t look completely vacant. Set a timer on lights near the front of your home.
Vacation Prep Tip #9: Dry Out
Check that the washing machine is empty. Leaving clean, wet clothes in your washing machine will mean coming home to damp, mildew-laden mess. Wipe down the inside of the machine with a clean, dry towel so that no water droplets are left behind.
Vacation Prep Tip #10: Mums the Word
While it may seem like second-nature these days to share your vacation excitement with friends and family via Facebook, it’s best to keep your travel plans off of social media. If your privacy settings aren’t strict, publicly announcing that you’ll be out of town is an open invitation for a break-in. Better to wait until you return home. Besides, you’ll want to share all of your vacation photos—what better way to let your extended connections know about your trip!
Preparing for vacation, with all of the packing and planning, can be stressful enough. Coming home after some well-deserved time off shouldn’t add to the stress! Follow these tips to ensure a clean, leak-free home will be waiting for you. Not sure if you have a leak, or worried that you might have a bigger issue, such as damaged pipes? Let us know how we can help!
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