13 Must-Do Home Tasks Before a Trip
Do you often leave for extended vacations, or are you planning a work trip soon? Do you wonder what you should do to prevent disasters from your house while you’re away? While you get ready to enjoy time away to relax, recharge, and refresh, there are things you need to do to prepare your home while you’re gone. Here is a checklist of must-do home tasks to complete before your next vacation.
Why Is a Vacation Home Checklist Necessary?
You may think you can leave home for a long trip without a second thought. You’ll want to lock the doors and close the garage of course. For shorter trips, like a week or two, that may be enough. But for longer time away, there are things that you need to do before leaving your house. This helps to maintain your home’s systems.
Things like unplugging kitchen appliances, TVs, electronics, and major appliances. In the event of a power surge, or lightening strike, this prevents them from damage.
Or how about having someone pick up your mail, packages, and newspapers while you’re away? When left to pile up on your doorstep or mailbox, you’re inviting criminals to break in. Nothing screams the owner isn’t home more than a few days worth of packages sitting on your front porch.
Pre-Departure DIY Checklist
Use this handy checklist from The Daily DIY before your next trip.
- Leave the thermostat at around 78 degrees during warm seasons and 70 degrees during cold seasons
- Shut off automatic ice maker
- Set refrigerator and freezer to lowest setting
- Shut off water heater
- Shut off main water valve to the home (warm climates only)
- Open doors to clothes washer and dryer for air circulation
- Place all patio furniture and umbrellas inside, or in garage if possible
- Unplug all kitchen appliances, TVs, electronics
- Turn off breaker to water heater, oven, washer and dryer
- Garage door openers – hold the lock button until flashing
- Install timer on lights
- Bring trash cans inside
- Check to ensure all lights are turned off
What About When You’re Gone For Extended Periods Of Time?
If you are going away for a long time, it’s good to complete the checklist above. It’s also a good idea to hire a professional Home Watch Reporter. These are especially good if you have a vacation home that you visit a few times per year, or seasonally. Or if you are leaving your main home for a long trip. According to Daryl Haury, owner from Local Eyes Home Watch in Fort Myers Florida, “an unoccupied home is a vulnerable home”.
A Home Watch Reporter will come to your home every week or two to check on your systems and ensure everything is in good working order. They will provide a report to you after each visit. Many insurance companies and HOAs are beginning to require that you have a professional check on your home every couple of weeks during long periods away.
What if your air conditioner breaks while you’re gone for a month? In warmer climates, conditions are favorable for microbial growth to begin if the house becomes too humid. A Home Watch Reporter can catch an HVAC system breakdown and alert you before any major damage can occur.
Or what if your furnace goes out? In colder climates, pipes can freeze and thaw with fluctuating changes in temperature. This causes failures within your pipes. A pro can discover this and help you to secure a repair company to fix the system before a catastrophe.
Whether you’re going for a few days, or a few months, use this checklist of must-do home tasks above to help keep your home safe.
