Pre-Vacation Tips: Home Preparations You Should Do Before Your Trip
There is no denying that preparing for a vacation is both an exciting and stressful moment. After all, you have your packing list, luggage sets, itinerary, and travel documents to think about. Not to mention that you might have some office tasks that you need to turn over to your colleagues.
But other than those mentioned earlier, you should not forget to prepare your home before your trip. Here’s how:
1. Toss anything that will spoil
Generally, it is important that you clean your home before your vacation. However, you must pay attention to your fridge as well.
Check if there is anything likely to spoil while you are away. And then you can choose whether to toss it or give it away.
Better yet, cook it and pack it as your in-flight meal or share it with your neighbors. This is ideal if you do not like putting food to waste.
But whatever you could think of, what’s important is that you will not come home to a fridge full of stinking and spoiled food.
2. Take out the garbage
Aside from emptying your fridge of perishable goods, it is also essential to properly dispose of your trash.
Ideally, you should do this before you leave. However, you can still do it the night before your trip, and then make sure that you wash and airdry your indoor garbage bins.
Otherwise, you run the risk of being welcomed by the stench, as well as pests and vermins, when you get home from your vacation.
3. Flush garbage disposal
Speaking of garbage, you should not forget to flush your garbage disposal.
The thing is that we can easily forget what we do not see. Sometimes, we are unaware that our garbage disposal has some eggshells or orange peels that need flushing away.
If you forget to do this, you will see ants and flies in your kitchen by the time you come back home from your vacation. Not to mention that you will be welcomed by the stench.
That said, it is best to flush your garbage disposal with a 1:1 mixture of white vinegar and water. Let it run for a minute or so before your flush it again one last time.
4. Check water and plumbing
Before you go on vacation, it is also essential to check that you are able to turn the main water valve off.
For one, your dishwasher, washing machine, and sink do not need to be filled water while you are away. It might just end up as a breeding ground for mosquitos. Second, not turning off your water valve can cause leaks.
This will not only cause you lots in terms of your water bill, but would also mean that you will need to repair your leaky water pipes and other damages that it might incur.
5. Water your plants
Whether you have a backyard or taking care of a couple of indoor plants, make sure to water them before you leave.
As for the latter, it is important to know the characteristics of your plants. Some prefer the sun while some are sensitive to it. If you have delicate plants, it is best to put them in the shade before watering.
You can also opt to entrust your plants to your friendly neighbor. But if you do not want the hassle of worrying whether your plants are okay or not while you are away, you might as well invest in self-watering plant stakes.
6. Unplug unnecessary electronics
Your microwave, lamps, gaming consoles, computers, and more, do not need to run while you are away. So you might as well turn them off and unplug them.
For one, it allows you to save money on your electric bill. Not to mention that it prevents any power-related incidents from happening while you are away. That’s because a power surge can fry your appliances, which can lead to malfunction.
Worse, it can cause your garage door to open, which can make your house susceptible to burglary.
You can do the same with your internet router unless you are using it to connect with your home security system.
7. Wash and change beddings
Nothing beats coming home to a fresh-smelling and comfortable bed. So, it will be a major bummer if your beddings smell musty.
If you do not want to experience that, make sure to wash and change your beddings a few days before your trip. You can also do your laundry while you are at it.
This will not only ensure that you have fresh beddings by the time you come back, but doing so will also give room to your take-home laundry.
Who would want to wash a double load of laundry after a vacation, anyway?
8. Set your light timer
Aside from making sure that your home is clean before you leave, it is also important to ensure its safety. And one way to do that is to set the light timer.
Here’s the thing: It is easy to know when someone’s not home because the lights are always off. On the other hand, keeping your lights on could be dangerous and could cost you a lot.
Hence, it would be ideal to install smart lights or motion sensor lights. This allows you to schedule when your lights will turn on and off while you are away to make the illusion that someone’s home.
Prepare for your return
Simply put, you should ensure that your home is welcoming when you come back. You can do this by following these steps:
- Clear your fridge and throw out anything that may spoil and rot.
- Take out the garbage and clean your bins.
- Do not forget to flush your garbage disposal.
- Make sure the main water valve is shut off.
- Unplug unnecessary appliances
- Make sure to tend your plants.
- Wash and change your beddings.
- Install and set your smart lights.
You must act upon these tips to ensure that your home is safe while you are away. This is to make sure that you will have a relaxing and worry-free vacation.
Plus, you can come back to a welcoming home. After all, coming home from vacation should be relaxing.