Can you believe it that Christmas will be here in a few short weeks? Are you busy planning those last minute details for Christmas travel. I have finished most of my Christmas shopping so that I don’t have to worry about running around at the last minute picking up gifts. The closer it gets to Christmas the more excited I am to see my children open their gifts and see what Santa Claus brings them. Are you planning on doing any holiday travel? Have you made a list of things that you need to do before you prepare for your trip?
Most people often don’t think about preparing your home while you are on vacation. Whether you are leaving for only a day or two, you should still use these tips to prepare your home so that you know that everything is perfect before you leave. Use my list of 8 things to do before going on vacation to keep your home secure.
Ask Neighbors to Pick up Mail and Newspaper
If you are planning on being gone, always have someone pick up the mail and newspaper. Nothing screams that someone is out of town when there are full mailbox or several papers in the driveway. Don’t forget to ask the neighbor to watch for packages on the doorstep too.
Set a Timer
I like to set a timer so that there are several lights on inside of my house especially during the winter time when it gets dark outside earlier. The idea is to make it appear that you are home even if you aren’t.
Invest in a Programmable Thermostat
Use a programmable thermostat while you are away from the house especially during the winter time. You can set the temperature in your home to stay at a certain temperature. You can use the programmable thermostat to keep it warm or cool in the house but you don’t have to leave it at the same temperature as if you were home. During the winter time, you want to leave the heat on so that you don’t have frozen pipes. Plus, keeping it too hot or too cold while you are gone will cause your HVAC system to work harder when you get back home to get the temperature to a comfortable level. If you have a fancy programmable thermostat, you might even be able to use your phone to change the temperature in your home an hour or two before you arrive back home so that the temperature is at a comfortable setting in your home.
Clean the House
Always clean the house before you leave. It will feel good to come home to a clean house. Plus, you usually end up making a mess as you unpack. Once you unpack the car, do try to put things up immediately so that it isn’t cluttering up your living room.
Don’t Forget to Take Out the Trash
Nothing is worse then coming home to an awful smelling house because you forgot to take out the trash. Be careful about putting the trash on the curb too far in advance for your trash service. You don’t want animals getting into the trash or even your empty trash can hanging out in the middle of the street.
Make Plans for Your Animals
If you have animals, you need to make plans for someone to take care of them. Make sure you book boarding well in advance, most boarding facilities fill up quickly especially around the holidays.
Alert Your Security System Company
If you are planning on being away from home for an extended period of time, you should contact your security system company and let them know. They can put a note in your account in case the alarm is tripped that they can by pass calling you to confirm that you set off the alarm.
Give Neighbors Your Contact Information
It is wise to give your neighbors in your contact information so that they can contact you in the event of an emergency. Plus, you can let them know that you will be gone and to keep an eye on things while you are gone.
These 8 things to do before going on vacation will keep your home secure and allow you to enjoy your trip.