What To Do Before Going on Vacation Around Your Home
Vacations can become a time to get away from our regular, daily routines and schedule. We must take the time to relax – but not at the expense of forgetting about the things around your home or apartment while you’re off on holiday or at work/school for weeks at a time. Once you have booked your vacation, it is time to start preparing for your trip. However, before you do that, take a good look around your home and find out what still needs to be repaired or replaced before you leave for your vacation. The following are some tips on what to do before going on vacation home so that there will be no damage to your property when you return:
Get the Proper Packaging for Your Valuables
Moving from one location to another can be a challenging task. That is why you need to protect your valuables from scratches or any other form of damage that may happen during transit. The best way to secure them is by using a hard-shell suitcase with a firm clasp and sturdy handle. If you can’t find one, use a high-density foam box instead – make sure it’s sealed tightly, so nothing falls out inside the moving truck.
Use Odor-Eliminating Bags for Dirty Laundry
Getting rid of bad smells is never easy, especially if you are doing it on your own without help from professional cleaners’ equipment. One way to eliminate foul odors is by putting your smelly clothes inside a sealable plastic bag. Add some baking soda and water, close the bag and leave it overnight. The following morning, unzip the bag, and you’ll notice how fresh your clothes smell – no worse odor!
Seal Foods Before Putting Them in Boxes or Bags
Another thing to consider on the list of what to do before going on vacation prior to packing away the food items to put on hold for a few days is to make sure they are tightly sealed first to prevent spillage within the moving truck. Foods such as cookies, crackers, chips, cereal bars, and even some dry fruits can be safely packed as long as they are kept safe from damage due to impact that may happen during a transit like bumpy roads or sudden braking.
Prepare a Checklist
This is one of the most important things on the list of what to do before going on vacation. A checklist is a list of activities to complete or reference before doing something. For example, your family gets three weeks each year to go on vacation. It would help if you considered the chores are done in your absence, and the home looks like someone is there. In addition, you have several tasks that must be completed before going on vacation and upon returning from vacation. So, what will your checklist include?
Discuss appropriate items for a checklist. You may consider including everything from turning off appliances to ensuring that bills have been paid and that one or more friends have taken care of your pet(s). Also, do not forget first aid kits, a flashlight with batteries ready, and excess water in case of a prolonged power outage. Depending upon your home’s location, you may also want to include things like having bottled water or non-perishable food on hand.
How would others benefit from their checklists? Everyone can benefit from preparing a list before going on vacation. Ensure that all the tasks and precautions that need to be taken while no one is home are included. You may also include undertaking roof repairs to ensure the house is in the best condition before leaving for the vacation. Find out any other vital tasks like sprinkler repair and water heating repair. Then share your list with friends and family members who might not think about specific tasks themselves.
Making an organized and scheduled list of what to do before going on vacation makes everything a lot easier. Ensure you have the complete list at hand, so you’ll know what needs your attention first.
Keep Valuables in Safe Places
Are you going on a vacation and leaving your valuables behind? Be careful! There is an increase in home burglaries during the summer months, and homeowners who forget to lock their doors or remove certain items from their homes may return to find that those items are now gone. Topping the list of what to do before going on vacation is making sure you keep your valuables safe by hiding them in various places around your house so they will be safe when you aren’t home. Also, engage a fence repair company and locksmith services to ensure your home is secure and there is enhanced home security.
What types of things should people keep out of sight? Any expensive item that isn’t necessary for everyday living can be sold for money if someone breaks into the house and needs the extra cash. The list includes televisions, computers, tablets, gaming consoles, Bluetooth speakers, cell phones, cameras, and other electronic devices. Because burglars commonly target items, jewelry, cash, and firearms, these should also be included in your safety measures.
Are you wondering what to do before going on vacation to keep these items safe? One of the best ideas is to put them inside a locked box and take that box with you on vacation. If it’s not possible to take the valuables along with you, you’ll need to hide them effectively so they won’t be found by someone who doesn’t already know they’re there. You could try hiding them at the back of a high shelf or cabinet where nobody would think of looking for them or burying them deep within your trashcan so an intruder wouldn’t smell them through plastic bags. People might even want to consider storing their items inside a small refrigerator. While you can’t use the freezer, those who don’t have any food inside their fridge might not look through it for very long.
Wherever you decide to hide your valuables, remember that they need to be hidden securely so nobody will ever think of looking there. Try using different containers and boxes as receptacles for important documents or electronic devices, and then cover them up with pictures or other items on top of them so someone won’t think twice about seeing what is underneath. If an intruder does find something valuable in your house, make sure you come back home as soon as possible to retrieve it before someone else finds it!
Relocate All the Documents You Need for Your Upcoming Vacation
It is essential to make copies of your crucial personal documents before leaving for vacation – this way, you’ll have an emergency backup plan in place should anything happen during transit or even once you are settled into your new home. Place these papers inside waterproof bags and keep them where they can be easily accessed at any time – inside a cupboard or under the bed, maybe? Alternatively, take photos with your phone, so you’ll know exactly where to find everything if there ever comes a time when these documents are urgently needed.’
Turn Off Your Water
In case you are wondering what to do before going on vacation, turn off your water. For most houses with city water, you’ll want to locate the main shutoff valve near the street and turn it off. This way, if there’s a problem like a leaky pipe or faulty appliance, you won’t be looking at thousands of water damage when you get back. If, for some reason, where you live, there isn’t any access point for turning off your city water, you’ll need to call your water company ahead of time and ask where the main shutoff is located. They should be able to tell you exactly where it is, but if they can’t, then you will have to pack up your valuables and find someplace else for them while you look around. If, by some coincidence, right after speaking with your water company or before, someone breaks into your home (and they are not fool enough to turn off the water), then at least there won’t be any damage done when the police come.
Tie up Loose Ends
You’ll want to get all of your summer clothes packed away neatly in plastic bins that are airtight like storage containers or garbage bags with zip-lock tops. Store them in the basement or somewhere where they will stay cool and dry throughout your absence. If you have a garage or a shed, then that’s even better as it’s usually a bit cooler than the house. Just remember to put everything away neatly so you won’t be tripping over random things when you get back.
Unplug Everything
If it’s not bolted down, take it inside for the summer, or at least wrap it up in moving blankets to protect your belongings from weather, scratching, etc. If anything is outside, make sure there are no exposed cords because, while you may have a fantastic memory when it comes to passwords, fingerprints, birthdays. You might forget where all those pesky plugs are at. Better yet, get rid of whatever isn’t necessary for life within your four walls while you’re away, if possible.
Lock Your Windows and Doors Before You Leave
If you’re informed about what to do before going on vacation, there is a high chance that you’ll come home to a house that looks exactly how it did when you left! If not, well, then we hope for your sake whoever is responsible has manners and cleans up after themselves, because nothing ruins summer vacation like coming back to find someone sleeping in your bed or defecating on your floor! And depending on the visibility of the damage, often people will refuse to pay for the AC repair, garage door repair service, dryer repair, or any damages if there’s no proof as to who would take such an outrageous thing as part of their insurance deductible? And besides: isn’t it just easier to lock all those pesky windows and doors anyway than deal with the headache of finding that you require incurring the cost of the air conditioning repair or water heater repairs? Oh yeah! Someone else is now living in your home?
Water Your Plants if Possible
Many people take care of their plants when they go on vacation. Are you wondering what to do before going on vacation to provide the necessary care for your houseplants while you’re away? Everyone has different needs for watering their plants, so that no general rule can suit all situations. However, some simple steps about what to do before going on vacation can help ensure your plants stay alive while you are gone.
Take a picture: Whether this is your first time taking care of your home, or if you have been coming in every other day for years, it’s always good to document what the scene was before you left. That way, when you come back, the changes in conditions will be straightforward to handle.
Place a drop cloth under the plant: Being mindful of your flooring, placing a drop cloth or newspaper under your plant will save you time and money when prepping for your trip.
Trim up the leaves: To ensure that they can retain as much moisture as possible, be sure to trim back any overgrown foliage before leaving on vacation.
Water sparingly: If you need to leave during sunny days in your area, be sure to water sparingly so that the soil stays moist until your return. An excellent way to determine if you should water or not is to place 2-3 fingers into the dirt near the base of the stem. If it feels dry, don’t risk it and water your plant.
Remove dead, dying, and diseased leaves – Dead leaves should be removed from a plant for several reasons. The first being that they will rot and cause damage to the other foliage in the potting soil, and second, because it could make an easy access point for insects or fungus looking for a place to check out.
Clean the leaves: If your plants are near windows, use an old rag to wipe off any dust or grime that may accumulate on the leaves while you are away. Also, make sure to clean the plant base (where it meets up with whatever it is sitting in). Allowing dirt and debris to be collected here will attract pests like ants and gnats.
Filter your tap water: You don’t want to leave for vacation only to come back and find that your plants have turned yellow because you used untreated tap water when filling up their pots. Use filtered or bottled drinking water when possible when watering houseplants. That way, there won’t be any damage when you return from vacation.
Clean Up After Yourself Before Vacationing
Before you leave, make sure to tidy up around your home. This will make the transition back to your normal life easier once you get back from vacation. Having a nice and clean home free of clutter and little messes will make things better when you already have that post-vacation sadness going on!
Leaving for a vacation is an exciting time, but you want to make sure that you get everything done at home before you go somewhere else for a few days, weeks, or months. With these ideas, you can come home and find your home just as good as you left it!