Preparing your home safety checklist for vacation
Going on vacation should be a time of rest and relaxation. A time you can unplug from everyday life and plug into a good book or your next favorite memory. To make the most of your time away, here’s some quick and easy things to check off your home safety checklistbefore you depart. That way, you can relax with the best of them.
Home safety checklist
1. Put your lights on a timer
Thieves are always looking for homes that look like easy targets. Putting your lights on a timer in the evenings can make it look like someone’s home, deterring anyone from trying to opportunistically damage your property.
2. Set your temperature
Don’t pay any unnecessary energy bills! Set your thermostat to lower energy usage while you’re away. Keeping your house warmer in the summer and cooler in the winter during your trip should keep those costs down.
3. Turn off water valve
Leaking water can do significant amounts of damage to your property. Reduce the possibility by shutting off the water to your home before you leave and you won’t have to individually check every faucet and knob throughout your whole house.
4. Hold your mail
Who wants to come back from vacation to an overflowing mailbox? The United States Postal Service (USPS) can put a hold on your mail for 30 days while you enjoy your vacation. You can head over to the USPS website to fill out a form to hold your mail for the length of your trip.
5. Clean your home
This one probably won’t keep burglars from getting into your home, but there’s nothing like coming back to a clean house. Taking out the trash, washing dishes, changing the bedsheets and emptying the dishwasher means you don’t have to worry about coming back to anything you need to clean up. You should also toss any perishable foods, like leftovers, yogurts, milk and fruits.
6. Notify your alarm security company
Communicating with your security company about your upcoming trip prepares them to respond appropriately should your alarms go off while you’re away.
7. Water your plants and tend to lawn
Don’t let your plants dehydrate or your lawn get wild during your time away. There’s all kinds of neat tips for keeping your plants hydrated when you’re not there. You can also check out our lawn maintenance for Austin in spring to catch up on how to keep your yard looking pristine.
Golden Home Management’s home safety checklist
Going through this checklist before you leave means your return doesn’t have to be stressful. Home maintenance is something that’s constant, even when you’re not there. That’s why Golden Home Management is here to take the headache out of home ownership. As we move into spring, check out our Spring Maintenance Checklist to make sure you’re up to date.