7 Things To Do Before Leaving Home for Vacation

by Kellee H. Smith 10/22/2017

Vacationing is a time to relax and enjoy time with your loved ones, friends or even yourself. Avoid the stresses of trying to remember whether or not you did everything you needed to do before you leave by being proactive. Leave the house to board the plane to paradise…or your in-laws for the holidays worry-free. Here is a list of things to do before you go away to make sure your house is all set while you’re gone:

Ask for a Friend: If you are going to be gone for longer than a few days, it’s probably wise to ask a friend, neighbor or family member to stop by and check on your house. They can grab the mail and newspaper, water plants, and make sure the house is still standing. Consider paying someone to stay at your home full-time to take care of your pets. Generally, it will be cheaper than boarding them and you won’t be displacing them while you’re away.
Do NOT post on social media: Social media is a staple for many to share their life, but it’s best not to post on social media that you will be heading off to the Caribbean for a week— unless you have someone staying at your house full-time. This gives burglars the perfect opportunity to break into your home.
Remove spare keys: It’s best to give the person watching your home the spare key and have them hold onto it and remove additional spares key. There are rarely any creative spots to hide spare keys and leaving it under your welcome mat is asking for someone unwanted to enter your home.
Timer lights: Invest in a timer for your lights. If your lights turn on periodically, it will look like someone is at home. It will also save you money compared to if you were to leave your lights on constantly while away.
Unplug appliances/electronics: Unplug anything that will not be used while you are on vacation. This includes toasters, computers, printers, television, etc. Even though they are not on they could still be using up energy.
Close windows/lock doors: Remembering to close your windows and lock your doors sounds like it would be easy, but it’s probably not the first thing on your mind when going on vacation. Set a reminder on your phone to check all of your windows, making sure they are locked if low to the ground, and locking the doors that you are not exiting from.
Use a safe: If you have a safe or locked drawer, it’s very wise to place important things into it while you’re gone. Important paperwork, jewelry, and emergency money that you leave around the house are all items that you should be putting a safe place, such as a safe or locked drawer.

Some other things to do before leaving for a vacation are to contact your credit card company to let them know you’ll be traveling, turn off water if traveling for a significant amount of time (but be careful of freezing pipes), and to, of course, remember your wallet and I.D. Ensure you have a worry-free vacation follow the steps below and have fun!

Home Safety

About the Author

Kellee H. Smith

Prestige Property Specialists was started in 1988 by Jerry and Pat Smith. Their daughter, Kellee Smith, is the second generation Broker/Owner. The company has a set of core values that the brokerage prides itself on. Ethics, education, customer service and community involvement are at the top of the list. We consider ourself a real estate family. You will notice the difference when you walk into the office.

Prestige Property Specialists has an excellent reputation around West Volusia county. Our agents hold offices in many organizations because we are passionate about leaving this community a better place to work, live and play. Recycling is one of our passions and we worked with DeLand Breakfast Rotary and the City of DeLand to get recycle bins in the downtown DeLand area. If you get to downtown DeLand, you might see our recycling mascot, "Skip D. Landfill", roaming the streets.