Before you head out to the in-laws or jet set somewhere sunny for the holidays, it’s essential to get your home in proper order!
By taking these extra steps before you leave your home unoccupied over the holidays, you can better protect it from unwanted damages and unwelcome visitors, as well as make your return after the stress of traveling a little more peaceful!
Outside
- Remove any hoses still hooked up and make sure your outdoor water shut-off valves are closed unless you have an automated irrigation system you want to continue running while you are away. To help reduce the risk of water freezing in the pipes, you can purchase covers for your exterior faucets.
- Bring in any secret spare keys you may have hidden outside for emergencies.
- Clean out your gutters and trim any risky branches to avoid having a winter storm cause exterior damage while you are away. It’s a good idea to have your home’s overall landscaping tidied up before you leave since overgrown grass and plants are a sign to potential burglars that you have been away for a while. If it has snowed, shoveling walkways and driveways also helps to make your home look occupied.
- Bring your outdoor furniture inside or place it in your garage.
- Put any vehicles not coming with you in your garage if possible. If not, bring in any valuables that may be in them and double-check they are locked. You can also ask a neighbor to park in your driveway occasionally while you are out of town so that it will look like there is still some activity happening at your home.
- Check the batteries in your exterior motion lights, or consider installing at least one outside your home. These are excellent for deterring trespassers.
- Contact the post office and have your mail paused. An overflowing mailbox is a telltale sign that you are away. It’s hard to plan when packages will arrive these days, so if one is going to show up while you are away, ask a neighbor to bring it inside for you.
Inside
- Program your thermostat to a lower temperature so that you are using less energy (and money) to keep your home heated while you are gone. It is recommended to keep it above 55° so that you do not run the risk of pipes freezing and bursting. This is also a great time to check your thermostat’s batteries!
- Check that your home security system is properly working and that all the batteries are fresh and new. This includes your Ring or Nest cameras!
- Shut off your home’s water supply to help prevent any leaks or damage from burst pipes. If you cannot shut off your water, it is recommended to leave the cabinets under the sink open. If you have had issues in the past, leave your faucet on at a very slow drip to keep water moving through the system.
- Double-check, and then triple-check that all your doors and windows are securely locked, including the garage!
- Close your blinds and curtains and move any valuables that may be seen from the outside to more hidden spots.
- Unplug everything in your home that you safely can. All appliances, besides your fridge, should be unplugged. This will save you money on your energy bill, as well as help prevent electrical fires from starting.
- Set your water heater to “vacation mode”. This will lower the temperature of the water in your tank while you are not using it, but keep it at a level that will not freeze.
- Set a few of the lamps around your home on timers to help create the illusion that someone is still home.
- Give your houseplants one last watering before you leave, unless you have a friend who can stop by to check on them.
- Close your fireplace flue so no unwanted pests, like birds or bats, make their way into your home.
Prepare For When You Get Back
- Clean out the fridge and throw away anything that is going to go bad (or has already gone bad!) while you are gone.
- Tidy up around the house. You will feel a lot less stressed and a lot more comfortable when you finally finish your journey home if you come home to a freshly cleaned house!
- Take out all the trash.
- Wash your bedding and put a new set of sheets on before you leave. Future you will be thrilled to crawl into a fresh bed when you finally get home.
- Make sure your washing machine is empty! We have all been there – you run that one last load of laundry and forget about it, only to come home a week later to a washing machine full of smelly, mildewy clothes.
- Empty out the dishwasher and leave the door open just a crack so that the residual water can evaporate.
- If you have a garbage disposal, give it a quick clean with a vinegar and water mixture to rid it of any unpleasant smells.
- Save an easy-to-make frozen meal in the freezer so that you have something simple to whip up when you get home!
