The last thing you want to think about when you go on vacation is what’s happening at home, so you need to think about it before you leave! There are plenty of things to consider when preparing your house for a lengthy absence.
While you might think it’s just a case of turning off a few plugs and locking the doors, it’s not that simple. There are all sorts of things to be aware of, so let’s go through some of them today. Hopefully, we’ll be able to open your eyes to the potentially extensive preparations that you’ll need to go through.
After you’ve packed your bags and you’re ready to head off, do a quick clean of the house. By this, I mean cleaning those spills that you’ve neglected for a while, or taking the bins out. Do a quick polish around the place and clean up any dust that has accumulated. Make sure the washing up is taken care of as well. The last thing you want to come home to is a dirty house that needs cleaning after a long vacation. It’ll be even worse if the place smells horrendous because you’ve left food in the bins for weeks at a time.
You’re also going to need to make sure that all plugs are turned off. This doesn’t just mean the television, but things like the oven as well. There’s no point leaving devices like the Wi-Fi router connected either. Limit the number of appliances you leave turned on to reduce the risk of danger and additional costs. The same thing goes for your heating systems as well. Turn the thermostat all the way down to save having to pay extra money where it’s not necessary.
The amount of care you need to take is dependent on how long you’re going to be away. A quick weekend getaway won’t require much maintenance, but a month-long trip will. Think about what needs to be maintained on a regular basis. You might need a company like Jim’s Mowing to take care of your garden to prevent it from becoming overgrown. It’s also important to inform the post office that you’ll be away so that your mail doesn’t get backed up.
Before you leave the house, let trusted people know that you’re going to be away. They’ll be able to keep a check on your property for you, particularly in the case of neighbors. You could always ask your family and friends to come and check on it, too, just in case you’re worried. If there are any work clients who are expecting your contact, make sure you set up an out-of-office email to inform them. The last thing you need is to get in trouble because they don’t realize you’re on vacation.
In case something goes wrong, you need to make sure a trusted party has spare keys to access your place. You never know if a break-in will occur, or if an electronic device will malfunction. It might just be a case of them collecting your mail while you’re away! Again, if you’re only going away for a short amount of time, this might not be necessary. If it’s a long trip, however, you must make sure someone can access the building. It needs to be someone you trust; there have been cases of neighbors being caught stealing in an instance like this!
Intruders are looking for any signs that you’re not at home. Don’t be tempted to shut all the curtains or even turn off all the lights! If you can, keep a car on the driveway. Do anything you can to make it look like you’re at home. This is where friends and family will come in handy once again, as they can remove any built-up mail that accumulates outside the house. Whatever you do; don’t be tempted to talk too much about your holiday on social media. If you have to; set that profile to private. Criminals might just spot that you’re away on vacation because of it. Be sensible.
If you’ve got pets to look after, the situation becomes even more complicated. Dogs are going to need dog-sitting, whether you ask a trusted friend to help out or find a dog-sitter. In the case of animals like cats and fish, you’re still going to need someone to feed them on a regular basis. There are feeding devices on the market, but constant surveillance is still required to ensure their well-being. This should be thought about well in advance, or you might end up struggling to find a sitter. At the very best, it’s probably going to cost you a lot more money than you’d like if you leave it too late.
The last thing you want to be thinking about when you go away on vacation is work or other stresses! Take it from personal experience: you don’t want to leave this until after you come back! Make sure you deal with any matters that might cause you stress while you’re away. Got an important piece of work to finish? Just do it! Need to visit someone urgently? Do that too. You won’t be able to enjoy your vacation if you’re constantly worrying about things that need to be done.
As you can see, there’s a lot more than meets the eye to taking care of your house while on vacation. As long as you implement these tips before you go away, you’ll have a stress-free trip. The last thing you want to be thinking about is leaving the oven on or failing to leave any spare keys out. Take the time to make sure everything is ready before you go, and don’t leave it until the night before!
And remember: relax! It’s much easier to be thorough when you aren’t stressing. Write down everything that needs to be done, and you’ll feel more comfortable with the task at hand. When you get back, you’ll have a beautifully maintained home in which you can relax after the long journey!
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