Summer is here! It’s the season for parties, time in the pool, and of course, summer vacations. Whether you’re planning to spend a weekend away at the beach or a few weeks relaxing in Europe, you have a lot to do before you go. Specifically, you need to make sure your home is prepped for your departure. Complete this summer vacation checklist to ensure your home and property stay safe and secure while you’re gone.

Re-program the thermostat.

There’s no need to cool your home to 72 degrees when you’re not home. Turn the thermostat up to 80 for the duration of your stay, and enjoy the energy savings.

Turn off the water.

You would not want a pipe to bust while you’re gone; the flooding could be disastrous. Turn off your water main so that any leaks are finite.

Clean out the fridge.

This task is especially important if you’ll be leaving for more than a week. Avoid grocery shopping, and instead eat up all the perishable foods in your fridge. Give anything you can’t eat away to friends. Also, give your fridge a good wipe-down with dish soap and water, and place a tub of baking soda inside to keep odors from developing while you’re away.

Arrange to have mail held.

Visit your local post office, and ask them to hold your mail until you return. This way, you won’t come home to an overflowing mailbox.

Put baking soda in the drains.

When drains are not used for days on end, they can dry out and become smelly. Help prevent odors from developing by dumping a few tablespoons of baking soda down each drain right before you leave the house. This is especially important for any drains associated with garbage disposals.

Turn down the water heater.

Turn your water heater down to 100 degrees F. This will keep the water somewhat warm without using too much energy while you’re gone.

Close the toilet lids.

Closing your toilet lids helps prevent water from evaporating from the toilet, so you don’t come home to dry, smelly toilets or mineral buildup in the bowl.

Lock the windows.

One of the most common ways that burglars enter homes is through unlocked windows. So before you leave, walk through your home and latch or lock all windows. If you have older windows that do not lock, consider buying some aftermarket locks for them.

Take out the trash.

Nobody wants to come home to a house that smells like trash, so gather it up and take it outside.

Place watering bulbs in house plants.

Unless you have a friend coming over to water your plants, you can fill a watering bulb and stick one into the soil near each potted plant. 

Complete this summer vacation checklist to keep your home safe and clean in your absence. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by home maintenance this summer, contact Hassle Free Home Services to learn more about our home maintenance programs.