Preparing Your Home Before You Travel
7/3/2024 (Permalink)
The last thing you want to come home to after a vacation is destruction to your home, that’s why it’s important to prepare your home before you leave for your trip. Preparing the house helps to keep it safe from damage due to weather, break-ins, and accidents such as a burst pipe. Below are some tips for preparing your home before you travel provided by Germania Insurance.
1. Secure your home so it appears occupied
Making your home appear occupied helps to decrease the chance of being a target for theft. To make your home appear occupied:
- Lock all external doors, windows, and the garage
- Don’t hide house keys near your door
- Set programmable light timers for outside lights
- Turn on any motion-activated outdoor lights
- Close your windows and blinds
- Make sure your security system is working
2. Clean out your refrigerator
Since you won’t be home for a while, it’s a good idea to clean out your fridge to remove any foods that might go bad and wipe down surfaces to get rid of residues that could cause a lingering scent. If you’re removing everything from the fridge, you can leave it unplugged and defrosted with the doors open so that you aren’t paying for it to run while you’re away.
3. Prepare for the elements
You never know what type of weather will roll around while you’re gone, so preparing for the worst is essential in order to prevent weather related damages. A few ways to do this are:
- Have your roof inspected and repair any necessary damages
- Clean out your gutters
- Trim back any trees or bushes
- Put any patio furniture in a safe and covered space such as the garage or ensure that it is secure
4. Take care of mail and deliveries
Make sure your mail is taken care of by putting it on pause, forwarding it, or asking someone such as a neighbor to pick it up so that it does not pile up while you’re away. Be sure to do this for deliveries as well and to pause any subscriptions.
5. Clean your home
Although it may seem pointless to clean your home before you leave, in the future you will be thankful. It's much more pleasant to come home to a clean and de-cluttered space after time away, so we have provided a quick cleaning checklist below.
- Empty the dishwasher and leave the door open so that the water dissipates
- Make sure there are no clothes in the washer or dryer to avoid moldy laundry
- Wipe down the countertops and clean the stove top to avoid attracting bugs or rodents
- Clean the garbage disposal by running a half-cup of vinegar and water through it to avoid coming home to a lingering (and very hard to get rid of) smell
- Take out the trash before you leave and arrange for someone to take the cans to the street for pick-up
- You may want to dust and vacuum as well to minimize dust particles and debris in your home
6. Protect your vehicle
If you’re leaving your car at home while you are away, you’ll want to make sure it’s secure and prepared for long-term storage. Keeping it in the garage is ideal, and if you are unable to do so, you can get a waterproof car cover to protect it from the elements. Here are some additional tips for long-term car storage:
- Ask a friend or neighbor to start your car once a week, or disconnect the battery to avoid battery drainage
- If you’re gone for more than 30 days, fill up the gas tank to prevent moisture from accumulating and keep the seals from drying out
- Clean your car as water stains, mud, grease, bird droppings, or tar can damage the paint if left for a long time
- If you’re gone more than 30 days, change the oil before you leave to avoid contaminants from old oil damaging your car
7. Turn off the water in your house
A plumbing leak can wreak havoc on your home causing a flood while you’re away. Shutting off the water in your home before you leave will help prevent this. This can be done by locating the main water shut-off valve and switching it off, then you’ll want to turn the kitchen and bathroom faucets on until they run dry and flush all toilets along with switching off the water for these at the base of each toilet to avoid mold or mildew growing in the bowl. If you plan to keep your heat or sprinkler system on, do not shut off the water as this will prevent those from running.
8. Unplug most appliances
A big storm can cause power outages. Ongoing or rapid power outages can impact and damage your appliances including your computer and TV. Before you leave for vacation, unplug anything around your home that does not need to be plugged in such as toasters, cable boxes, TVs, kitchen appliances, or anything else you won’t be using.
9. Set your water heater to “vacation mode”
There is no reason to maintain a hot tank of water for an extended period of time when you’re traveling. If possible, you can turn your water heater completely off. If you’re not comfortable doing this, set it to the lowest heat setting (often called “vacation mode)
10. Set your thermostat
Adjust your thermostat so that it is closer to the temperature outside. This will not only save you money on unnecessary energy costs, but can also help with unforeseen issues with your HVAC system while you’re gone
Following the guidelines above will help to prepare your home for when you will be away, but if you do experience damage to your property due to any disaster, don’t hesitate to call SERVPRO of Denton. We’re available 24/7 to assess the damage and restore your property back to its preloss condition “Like it never even happened.”