How to Prepare Your Home Before a Vacation

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Headed out of town? Whether you’re travelling solo for business, or rounding up the family for a much-needed getaway, sometimes, in the stress or excitement of getting yourself packed and ready to hit the road, you’ll neglect one important thing: to prepare your home before a vacation.

With all you have to do to get ready for an upcoming trip, it can be tempting to overlook some of the basic steps to securing your home while you’ll be out of town. But each task is a small inconvenience compared to the burden of having something go wrong while you’re away.

Prepare Your Home Before A Vacation: 4 Easy Steps!

1. Address The Exterior

Remove the telltale signs that no one is home by making sure the lawn has been mowed and that newspapers have been cleared from the end of your driveway. Bring the trash cans in and ask the post office to hold your mail if you’ll be away for more than a few days. If you have a spare key stashed somewhere outside in case of an emergency, bring it in, or better yet, give it to a friend or neighbor for safe keeping while you’re gone.

2. Prepare The Interior

Don’t leave your home in the dark—if you’ll be gone only a few days, leave on one or two lights that are visible from outside your home. If your trip will last a bit longer, invest in a light switch timer than you can schedule to go on and off at different times of the day. Unplug small appliances and turn off your thermostat (or turn it down in the winter time), and make sure you’ve purged your fridge of anything perishable. Finally, ensure that all windows are locked and that any back or basement doors are secured.

3. Ask For Help

Enlist friends to be your eyes and ears when you’re out of town. Arrange for someone to stop by to collect mail or newspapers, to make sure the lights are on as planned and to periodically check up on your property. Alert a neighbor or two that you’ll be away so they can also keep an eye on things.

4. Beware Social Media

It may sound silly, but depending on the privacy settings on your social media accounts (or those of your kids!), posting those great vacation photos from a location halfway across the country can be the easiest way to tip off a large group of people that your home is vacant. Go ahead and share your amazing memories of the trip on social media, just wait until AFTER you’ve safely returned home.

Peace Of Mind When You’re Out Of Town

Remembering to take these simple steps to prepare your home before a vacation can ensure you that you’ll have a safe and welcoming space when you return home. Bon voyage!