Going Out of Town? Don’t Leave Home Without Doing These 8 Things
Whether you are going away for a quick weekend getaway or to an extended vacation, you want to protect your home. When packing for an upcoming trip, it's always a good idea to prep your home for your time away. From throwing away soon-to-expire food to ensuring everything is safe and secure, doing a few simple tasks ahead of time can make a tremendous difference when you return from the trip.
The team at Barsky Property Management recommends these helpful tips.
1. Straighten up around your home
Vacations provide us with some of the best times of our lives. But traveling can be hectic, and one of the last things you want to come home to after a long day of travel is a dirty home. While you might not need to deep clean everything, before you leave, you should clean the kitchen and bathrooms, vacuum, and toss or eat any food that could spoil to help prevent things from going awry and unwanted pests from coming along.
2. Take out the trash
Even if you are not cleaning out your refrigerator, take out the garbage before leaving. If you don’t, you risk coming home to all sorts of foul smells and the possibility of unwanted pests.
3. Double-check the laundry
While running around to pack and clean the house, it’s easy to forget the obvious things, like the laundry you forgot to put in the dryer. Before you leave, make sure to check the washer. Nothing is worse than coming home to a washer full of wet, smelly, and mildewy clothes.
4. Program your thermostat.
A great way to save energy while you’re away is to set the thermostat on an away program. Many newer thermostats offer a feature that will adjust the temperature setting when you’re not home. You may think you’re saving energy by turning off your heat, but never completely turn off your thermostat, as that could cause more harm than good. Experts recommend setting the thermostat to 55 to 60°F to prevent pipes from freezing.
5. Take precautions for fire.
While you’re cleaning, unplug electronics around the house that don’t need power while you’re gone. Not only will this help you save on your energy bill, but it will also lower the risk of an electrical fire. Unplug things like computers, unused chargers, and kitchen counter appliances such as air fryers, coffee makers, and countertop microwaves.
6. Check all the windows and doors.
Before you leave, it’s wise to check all the potential access points, such as windows and doors, around your home. Ensure you don’t leave any rarely used doors or windows unlocked or cracked open, which would likely be the first place a potential thief would check.
7. Put lights on timers.
One simple step to discourage break-ins is to put lights around your house on timers. You can do this the old-school way with analog outlet timers, but we recommend using smart bulbs. Not only will you be able to control the lights remotely, but you can also set different schedules each day while you’re gone to mimic someone being home.
8. Ask a friend or neighbor to gather your mail.
Depending on how long you will be away, you should put your mail on hold with the post office, which will keep it from piling up and revealing that your home is vacant. You can also ask a friend, neighbor, or family member to stop by daily and gather the mail for you.
The team at Barsky Property Management is available to answer your questions and guide you to resources to make your life easier. Contact us at info@barskymanagement.com.
