What To Do Around The House Before You Go On Vacation

Going on vacation is plenty of fun, but it requires some preparation. Your house can’t take care of itself, so you must tie up loose ends before you leave town. You may understandably wonder how to prepare your house before you go on vacation.

Remove perishable foods from your refrigerator that are about to expire before you go on vacation. Clean your house, do your laundry, and adjust your thermostat before you leave town. You must also lock your doors, cover your windows, and turn on your burglar alarm before leaving for vacation to burglar-proof your house.

You can get peace of mind if you simply hire a housesitter to watch your house. Follow along as we explore what to do around the house before you go on vacation. 

11 Things To Do Before You Go Out Of Town

1. Clear Your Refrigerator

The last thing you want is to come back from vacation and find a refrigerator full of expired food. It’s a great idea to look through your refrigerator and check the expiration dates on your perishable food. Eat your food that’s about to expire or simply throw it away.

Otherwise, your refrigerator will smell foul and you must throw it away when you get back. While you’re at it, this is a great chance to clean the doors and shelves. 

2. Take The Trash Out

Your garbage cans will smell horrible if you don’t empty them before you go out of town. That’s especially true if they’re full of food scraps. Take your trash out the day you leave, if not the day before. 

Otherwise, you could be walking into a house full of fruit flies. You may even find maggots inside your trash can if you’re out of town for a week. 

3. Clean Your House

Nobody wants to return to a dirty home after a lavish vacation. Create a checklist of chores you can do to clean your house before you go on vacation. This includes vacuuming, cleaning countertops, dusting, and cleaning your sinks.

You can split duties if you live with your family, significant other, or roommate. It’s also a great idea to wash your bedding so it doesn’t smell musty when you get back. 

4. Do Your Laundry

You will likely amass a lot of lot of dirty laundry while you’re out of town. That, combined with the dirty laundry left behind at your house, can be overwhelming to deal with. Ideally, you should wash all your dirty clothes before you leave for vacation.

That way, when you get home, you only have to wash the clothes you brought on vacation. While you’re at it, it’s a great idea to wash your sheets, blankets, and pillowcases. 

5. Adjust Your Thermostat

It’s important to adjust your thermostat before you go on vacation. After all, you won’t be there, so there’s no reason to spend a fortune on your energy bill. Ideally, you should set your thermostat 10 degrees higher in the summer and 10 degrees lower in the winter when you leave town.

Some modern thermostats have a vacation mode. Vacation mode automatically adjusts the temperature to stay at safe temperatures. It will raise the temperature if it gets too cold, and lower the temperature if it’s too hot. Luckily, your AC or furnace won’t cycle as much as it would if you were home. 

6. Turn Off Your Lights

Many people think they should leave a few lights on before they go out of town. The concept is that this will keep burglars away from the house. However, this also creates a dangerous fire hazard that isn’t worth the risk. 

This will also raise your energy bills and wear out your light bulbs. That said, it’s a good idea to set your outside lights to a timer, if that’s an option. For example, you can program some outdoor lights to automatically turn on at night and turn off in the morning. 

7. Ask Someone To Watch Your House

Sometimes, it’s best to simply hire a housesitter or ask a friend to watch your house while you’re on vacation. That is especially true if you have pets who require attention that you’d rather not take to a kennel. This also comes in handy if you have lots of plants and you’re worried about them dying.

Create a list of what you would like them to do to make their job easier. Designate a spot for them to place your packages and mail until you get home. 

8. Burglar-Proof Your Home

Burglars often target houses when they suspect the homeowners are out of town. That’s why you must do everything you can to burglar-proof your house. For example, you can set up security cameras in the front and back of your house.

It also helps to set up motion-activated floodlights. This can easily scare off burglars when they approach your house. Put an ADT sign in your yard to alert potential burglars that your house is monitored. Lock all your doors, close your garage, and turn on your alarm. 

9. Unplug Some Of Your Devices

Your electronics drain power when they’re plugged in, whether they’re turned on or not. Because of that, you may want to unplug some of your electronics and devices before you leave town. Unplug your computers, TVs, fans, and microwave to save money on your electric bill. 

10. Close Your Blinds And Curtains

Close your blinds and curtains before you go on vacation to maintain privacy. This will also help keep your house at a nice, cool temperature. Otherwise, the sunlight may heat your home so much that your air conditioner runs too often. 

It also helps to block snoopy neighbors and burglars from seeing what you have in your house. After all, you won’t be there to see what’s going on. 

11. Water Your Plants

Unless you hire a housesitter, your plants will become quite dry while you’re on vacation. That’s why you must thoroughly water your plants before you leave. Soak them more than you usually would without overwatering them, as that can harm them.

It’s also a great idea to move some of your plants into the shade or even inside. Ideally, you should also set your sprinklers to run each day that you’re gone. 

Summing It Up

Clear your refrigerator, take the trash out, and clean your house before you go on vacation. Wash your clothes and bedding so you don’t get overwhelmed with laundry when you get back. Unplug your electronics, turn off your lights, close your blinds, and adjust your thermostat before you go out of town. 

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