Preparing Your Home or Business for Vacation

5/31/2022 (Permalink)

Preparing your Home or Business for your Vacation is Extremely important

Preparing your home or business for Vacation

With warmer weather comes VACATION! Be sure to prepare your home or business for an extended vacancy.

Consider asking someone to watch your home

Depending on where you live and what your home needs, think of asking a neighbor, a friend or family member, or a home sitter for help. Ask them in advance, just in case they also plan to travel in the same period or cannot assist you for other reasons. Consider these chores:

• Watering plants/mowing the lawn
• Retrieving the mail (consider leaving an authorization for mail that requires a signature)
• Throwing out ads from the mailbox
• Opening the taps and flushing the toilets from time to time

If your home should look lived in, to avoid burglars, consider also:

• Putting out the garbage bin
• Parking a car out front from time to time
• Turning the lights on in the morning and evening

Turning the lights on and off could be automated with a timer.

Decide what appliances and electronics to unplug

Before leaving for a long trip, take your time to research and decide what devices to unplug. It may require reading the instructions.

In general, consider that unplugging appliances saves energy and money, and helps lower the risk of fires.

Go through the rooms, look at all the appliances in your house, and make a “departure day list” of what to unplug. Keep it handy on your phone by using my template checklist, or write it on a post-it and stick it to the door – so you’ll be quick at unplugging on the day of departure.

Some standard appliances are:

• TV
• Stereo
• PlayStation and consoles
• Internet router
• Lamps
• Electric toothbrush/razor
• Computer charger
• Printer
• Phone chargers
• Robot vacuum cleaner
• Fridge and freezer
• Coffee maker and kitchen appliances
• Dishwasher
• Washing machine
• Air conditioner/fan

Check your plumbing and taps

Do the pipes in your home or business have recurring problems? Maybe it’s worth closing the main tap. But is there any machine, like the water heater, that draws water automatically? Look it up in advance.

If you are unsure, consider closing individual water valves, like the ones of the toilets, sinks, washing machine and dishwasher.

Don’t close the main tap if a home sitter will need to use the toilet.

Should you leave the lawn watering on? Do you have any hoses to wrap or disconnect? Add everything to your Leaving Home checklist:

• Heater
• Water heater
• Dishwasher
• Washing machine
• Sink valves
• Toilet valves
• Garden hoses etc.

Figure out what to do with the heating/air conditioning

Depending on where you live, and on your heating/air conditioning devices, find out the best solution so your pipes don’t freeze, or you don’t come back to a furnace. If you have a “vacation mode”, make sure it works.

Do all necessary maintenance

This could be a long list, but it will definitely prevent headaches and expensive damage.

Start checking in advance, so you have time to fix whatever requires fixing.

• Check windows, make sure they don’t leak
• Check all locks
• Clean the gutters
• Check the car
• Check the air conditioning
• Check smoke detectors
• Check the alarm system

Make plans for your plants/pets

If your leafy friends and fur babies can’t make the trip with you, you’ll need to have a backup plan ready.

Most, if not all boarding services require that your pet have proper vaccinations. Keep this record handy so that you won’t have to take up time finding it when it is vacation time. It is also important to make sure ahead of time that your pet will get along with the boarder. Most places gladly welcome a visit before hand to test the waters and make sure they are the right place for your animals.

There are also plant sitters. Yes. You read that right. It is possible to hire someone to take care of your plants while you are away.

Do your research and figure out who can help you.

Have a great vacation!

Once you have marked everything off of your checklist, then you can rest easy knowing that you do not have to worry about anything back home while you are away. In the event that an emergency does happen, call SERVPRO of Cumberland, Morgan & White Counties at 931-250-5333.