Summer is a great time to go on vacation, but don’t leave your home vulnerable to break-ins or wasted resources while you’re gone. Here are twenty important things to do before you leave for your trip:
Outsource Help
1. Find a friend or neighbor who can come check on your home while you’re gone. You can also use a house-sitting service.
2. Leaving pets at home? Make sure you’ve arranged for their care ahead of time!
3. Though your post office’s mail hold service can be helpful, sometimes it’s better to ask a friend to collect mail for you. That way, when the mail carrier skips your house for days at a time, it’s not so obvious to potential intruders that you’re out.
4. Let your home security company know you’ll be out, so they can be sure to keep an extra careful eye on activity.
Don’t Forget the Particulars
5. Use a timer or utilize smart home technology to turn lights on and off while you’re away.
6. Make sure your blinds are closed and all windows are locked.
7. Program your thermostat so that your A/C doesn’t spend the whole time blasting that sweet, sweet, cold air for nobody’s benefit.
8. Unplug electronics – it’ll save you energy and lower the risk of an electrical fire.
9. Seal up dry food. Bugs are much more likely to make themselves at home when they figure out they don’t have to worry about being interrupted as often.
10. Water your indoor plants. (You can also ask your house-sitter for help with this!)
Tidy Up
11. Wash your bedding and make your bed. You’ll appreciate being able to climb into it immediately after traveling!
12. Clear the fridge of anything that will go bad while you’re away – throw it out, or, if it’s safe, put it in the freezer until you’re back.
13. Run the dishwasher and make sure the sink is clear. (Even better: make sure the dishwasher is unloaded and empty, too!)
14. Use baking soda, vinegar, and some lemon juice to give your garbage disposal a scrub.
15. Check the washer – nothing’s worse than a mildewy load of laundry after a week or more away. While you’re at it, wipe down the inside of the washing machine and leave the door open to dry out.
16. Make sure the bathroom is squeaky clean so bacteria don’t overtake your home in your absence.
17. Take out the trash!
18. You don’t have to do a full, deep clean, but the tidier your home is before you leave, the better. Nothing makes all that good vacation-y feeling evaporate as quickly as coming back to a list of chores.
Get Ready to Relax
19. Cook yourself a good meal before you go and throw it in the freezer. Chances are you’ll be hungry after traveling and now you’ll have one less thing to think about!
20. Give us a call at Signature Insurance Group to make sure your home insurance is up to date, and also to have any questions you have about potential snafus answered.
Save with SIG and Enjoy Vacations Even More!
Though it may seem like a lot of work just when you’re ready to take a break, doing these things ahead of time can save you some big headaches in the long run. Good luck, and have a great trip! Be sure to check in with the team at Signature Insurance to make sure you’re making the most of your spending and optimizing every opportunity for savings that you can.