Being Prepared When Leaving Home for the Summer

Leaving home for a summer vacation is always a fun and exciting venture. However, things can quickly take a turn if you come home to something that could have been avoidable by taking the proper precautions.

Keep reading for tips from Georgia Home Remodeling to make sure you leave your home in the best condition possible so you can enjoy your exciting summer break to the fullest!

Helpful Tips for Leaving Home for an Extended Period

So many things can happen while you’re away on your rightfully earned summer vacation, everything from a possible leak to unwanted intruders. Here are some helpful tips to get started on leaving home for an extended time away:

• Use Technology: Using updated smart lock technology is a great way to stay in touch with who is visiting your house. Also, having a camera system that scans the perimeter of your property will aid you if anything happens while you’re away from home.
• Keeping Lights on: If you’re leaving home, it might be a good idea to have porch lights with sensors that will come on during the night to make it look like someone is home.
• Ask for Help: Even if you’re away from home, your mail and packages will keep coming. Having a trusted neighbor or family member keep them safe until your return can stop the loss or misplacement of important mail and packages. It’s also a good idea to leave a contact number for whoever is helping you out in case of an emergency.
• Make Plans for your Pet: When leaving home for a summer vacation, avoid procrastinating when making plans for your pets. Whether they stay with a family member or friend, get boarded, or come with you, planning adequately is a good idea. After all, our furry friends are family, too.

1 | Cleaning Up

When leaving home for your summer vacation, you might want to declutter your space as much as possible. This includes but is not limited to:

• Taking out the trash
• Wiping down countertops and removing any food debris
• Washing any dirty laundry

Doing all these things will help you come home to a neat and tidy home. It’s not fun to be overwhelmed by cleaning when you just got back from a wonderful summer break.

2 | Empty Out the Fridge

All the delicious, fresh food you keep in your fridge will likely not be so fresh and delicious when you return from your summer trip. When leaving home, it’s essential to remove anything that will expire before your return.

Maybe share them with a neighbor or friend, eat them yourself, or simply toss them out. Otherwise, you’ll come home to a stinky fridge. Not to mention, this reduces the chances of having insects enjoying your home while you’re gone.

3 | Unplugging All Appliances

Before leaving your home for a summer vacation, a good rule of thumb is to unplug all appliances. This will save you big bucks on your upcoming energy bill and avoid the risk of any electrical fires while you’re away from home. If it’s plugged in, even if it’s not powered on, it’s using electricity. Try unplugging things like:

• Microwaves
• The empty refrigerator
• Televisions
• Printers

4 | Setting the Thermostat

Setting the thermostat to a slightly warmer temperature will lengthen the life of your AC while saving you money at the same time. If your thermostat is set to a cooler setting, it will constantly be working to keep the house cool while you’re away.

The Department of Energy generally recommends leaving your thermostat between 80 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

5 | Shut Off Water When Leaving Home

Your main water line supplies everything from your sinks, washing machine, and dishwasher. Before leaving home, it can save you a lot of time, trouble, and money if you shut the main water valve off that feeds your house.

There might not be any plumbing issues when you leave your home, but many things can go wrong while you’re away on your vacation. It’s best not to risk coming back to a significant leak after a lovely summer break, so turn off your water supply before leaving home.

BONUS TIP: Set your water heater on vacation mode.

Checking your water heater to see if there is a vacation mode is always a good idea before heading out for your summer holiday. This will stop the unit from constantly heating water that won’t be used while you’re gone, saving energy and money.

If you do this, remember to turn it back to its original setting upon your return. Otherwise, you might wonder why you aren’t getting any hot water!

6 | Mowing the Lawn

Having someone mow your grass and water your plants for you after leaving home can be an option. Otherwise, it’s best to do it leading up to your vacation. If you are having someone plant sit while you and your family are gone, it can be good to relocate all of your plants to a single spot to make their lives easier. You can’t expect someone to know your house as well as you do. It can help you relax knowing that your lawn and plants are taken care of.

Furthermore, suppose you have delicate plants that need special caretaking procedures. In that case, you might want to tape a note to the specific plant or plants. This will only help your plant sitter do their best job and relieve you of stress during your summer vacation.

No one wants to come home after a nice trip to dead plants and grass! Another option is to get a self-watering device for your grass or plants. You can use these to ensure that everything is getting adequate water during your time away instead of trying to find someone to watch your plants for you.

7 | Locking Up When Leaving Home

While this may seem like a no-brainer, it’s always a good idea to check all the windows, doors, and entranceways, ensuring they are locked and secure. If you are using updated security technology, there is usually an app that will tell you what’s locked and what’s not.

It can also be a good idea to lock up anything valuable in a safe and ensure that all alarm systems are working correctly. On your way out, set the alarm to away and close up.

These are just extra precautions to avoid coming home to something that will take away from your fantastic summer trip!

How Can Georgia Home Remodeling Help?

We at Georgia Home Remodeling understand how important it is to get the most out of your summer vacation. Trips are meant for relaxation and breaks away from stress. Leaving home can be something that turns your trip upside-down if the proper measures aren’t taken to get your place clean, safe, and secure.

Suppose you want to upgrade to make yourself feel more comfortable while away on vacation; Georgia Home Remodeling has got you!

Everything from putting in new fences to replacing that outdated garage door are things that can help you enjoy your summer break.