Preparing Your Home For Vacation

The heat is on! June means school is soon coming to an end, and summer vacations are right around the corner. As a homeowner, responsibility calls and there are many things to consider before departing for a long weekend, a week or longer.

WWUD (what would Uniform do)! Well, we’ve put together a list of items you might want to consider checking off your list before packing up the car and heading out on your next adventure.

• CHUCK IT. We recommend throwing away all the food that will expire while you’re away. No one wants to come home to a smelly fridge or food that you can’t eat. Try not to leave the fridge completely empty though, keep some water jugs or canned drinks because a fridge works better when there are items inside to help maintain the temperature.
• HOLD IT. Make a quick call to your post office and newspaper carriers to put your mail, flyers and newspapers on hold so they won’t pile up. Or ask a neighbour to collect it for you to avoid a mountain of papers upon your arrival.
• CHECK IT. While your neighbour is picking up your mail, ask them if they would be willing to check on a few things for you at the same time – this will make it less apparent that your home is empty. Don’t miss your garbage week! You might consider asking them to help take your trash to the curb so you’re not the only one on on the street with no activity.
• ADJUST IT. Temporarily adjust the thermostat so that your air conditioner or heater won’t waste energy by running in an empty house. Also, don’t forget to unplug unnecessary appliances.
• PROTECT IT. When it comes tohome protection, don’t let the world know that you left your home unoccupied. One of the best tips we have is to hold off on sharing your amazing vacation photos on social media until you get home. You should also avoid posting your travel plans in advance. Does everyone remember “Home Alone”?
• LIGHT IT. Away for just a weekend? Leave a few lamps on throughout your home, but for a longer vacation, invest in inexpensive automatic timers that can turn lights on and off at staggered times. If you have a security system, alert the alarm company so they’re aware of your absence in the event of an emergency. Exterior motion detectors are triggered when they sense movement, lighting up the area around your home – these are good to have even if you’re not going away – it’s a good security feature for when you come home late at night.
• TIDY IT. Don’t you just love coming home to a clean house? Before you go, take a few hours to sweep, vacuum, do the dishes, and wipe down the kitchen to keep everything looking fresh and clean! Also, plug in a scented gel plug-in of your favourite fragrance, and you’ll be greeted by nothing but freshness when you get home.
• CHANGE IT. You might want to consider putting fresh, clean sheets on all your beds too!
• WATER IT. Your plants WILL need some tender love and care while you’re away. Plant monitoring devices are available to track the moisture levels of soil, and can actually send notifications by email when they need to be watered. There are also ways to set up slow-release watering containers for your indoor plants!

ONE MORE THING: Don’t hide your house keys while you’re away! Cute hiding places like a fake rock or under the doormat might not be the best idea when you’re gone. Leave a spare set with a trusted neighbour or friend instead.

Ok folks, checklist done. Trip is booked, everything is planned, electronics are charged up, and bags are packed – now lock the door and prepare for take off! Bon voyage.