Do you ever worry that you are going to forget something before you leave for a big trip? We get so excited about planning the trip and preparing for the trip, but what about all the things that need to be done at home before leaving? The last thing you want to be doing while on your amazing vacation is worrying about things at home!
If you have an upcoming vacation, don’t worry! I will explain the to-do list that you should make before leaving. Not all of these will apply to you if you aren’t going out of town for an extended period of time, but most of these are important for any trip that you may take!
19 Things to Do at Home Before Leaving for Vacation
Do you want peace of mind while you are on vacation? Do you want to know that your life and home will be taken care of while you are gone? Be sure to check each of these off your list of things to do before leaving.
1. MAKE SURE ALL BILLS ARE PAID
This one is very important. Make sure your electric bill, water bill, credit cards, and any other bills are paid (or scheduled to be paid) while you are gone. Nobody wants to deal with late fees or or call bill companies while on vacation! I know it can be easy to pay bills (or anything) from our phones or laptops these days, but we go on vacation to leave those things behind. I don’t want to be dealing with “business” on vacation.
2. HOLD YOUR MAIL AT THE POST OFFICE
If you are going on a long trip, you can get the post office to hold your newspaper delivery and mail delivery. If you don’t have someone staying at your house, or checking on things for you, I suggest you do this. You don’t want someone to steal anything important from your mailbox, or realize you aren’t home because the mail is piling up.
3. EMPTY THE FRIDGE AND CABINETS OF ANY PERISHABLE FOODS
If you have any perishable foods in the fridge or cabinets, make sure to eat them or throw them out before you leave. You don’t want to come home to a stinky house with rotten food in the kitchen.
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4. UNPLUG APPLIANCES
Unplugging home appliances will keep the unexpected from happening. It will also keep you from coming home to an unnecessarily high power bill. If you don’t want to unplug your home and kitchen appliances, make sure to have a surge protector in case the power goes out while you are gone.
5. ADJUST THE HEAT/AIR CONDITIONING
There is no need to have your heater or air conditioner running while you are gone. This will keep you from coming home to sky-high bills! If you don’t want to turn the thermostat completely off, turn it up if traveling in the summer and turn it down in the winter. A programmable thermostat helps to keep a consistent temperature in your home.
6. PUT VALUABLES IN A SAFE PLACE
Make sure to lock up all valuables and anything you wouldn’t want to lose if something were to happen to your home while you were away. Lock them up in a safe or put them somewhere safe in your home.
7. GIVE SOMEONE A SPARE KEY
Give a trusted friend or someone in your family a spare key to the front door. Even if you don’t expect them to come to check on your house every day, at least someone will be able to get into your house if you need them too.
8. GIVE YOUR FLIGHT AND HOTEL INFORMATION TO SOMEONE
Let someone like a close friend or family member know when your flight will land, where you will be staying, and a small itinerary if you will be moving around during your trip. If something were to happen while you were gone, other people need to know where you will be! Also, leave a phone number where they can reach you.
9. DO LAUNDRY, AND DISHES, AND CLEAN THE HOUSE
If you are like us, the thought of coming home to a dirty house and chores is nerve-racking! We like to have the laundry done so that we only have to clean the dirty clothes from our trip. Having the dishes done is great because leaving dirty dishes can cause bugs, and, nobody wants to come home to dirty dishes. Overall, a clean house means we can relax when we get back from vacation! This includes taking out the trash, and trash cans, and cleaning the garbage disposal before you leave!
10. LET THE BANK AND CREDIT CARD COMPANIES KNOW YOU WILL BE OUT OF TOWN
Letting the bank and credit card companies know you will be out of town will ensure that your card will not get declined. You don’t want your card getting declined and the bank put a hold on it because they think there is suspicious activity and your card has been stolen!
11. RE-CONFIRM BOOKINGS AND CHECK IN ONLINE WITH THE AIRLINE
It’s time to get into vacation mode! If you are flying, you can check in early for your flight online. It is also always a good idea to confirm your reservations for time and place at all the hotels you will be staying at.
12. PRINT OUT FLIGHT AND HOTEL INFORMATION
It’s great to have information for your trip on your phone, but having paper copies of all the important information is also a must. You never know what might happen (no service, phone is dead, etc.) and it never hurts to have a backup paper copy of all your important documents with you. It’s one less thing to worry about while you’re enjoying vacation.
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13. MAKE ARRANGEMENTS FOR PETS
Unfortunately, we can’t always take our sweet pups with us on vacation. If you are leaving your pet at home, make arrangements for a pet sitter or to be boarded. If you are traveling with your pet, make a list of everything you will need to take care of your pet while you are on family vacation!
14. MAKE A CONTACT LIST
Having a contact list is very important. We have cell phones now that can do just about anything, but they can also be unreliable sometimes when traveling abroad. It’s important to have the number of your bank and credit card company in case they put a hold on your cards. Also, make a small list of numbers for your hotel and family back home in case you need to get in touch with someone.
15. EXCHANGE MONEY
Exchanging money at your local bank can be cheaper than doing it at an airport ATM. Although you can always exchange money when you get to the country you are visiting, we prefer to do it at our bank at home. Why not save a little money when you can? It also cuts down on the stress of exchanging money when you’re at the airport.
16. MAKE COPIES
Make copies of your passport and photo ID and be sure to store them somewhere safe. This is in case you lose your passport or ID, you will have a backup.
17. WATER YOUR PLANTS AND INSPECT THE YARD
Make sure to water your indoor plants and outdoor plants before you leave. Inspect the yard for any tools or other things that need to be put away. Also, check to ensure the shed is locked so that no valuables are stolen while you are gone.
18. CONTACT YOUR ALARM COMPANY
If you have an alarm system, you can contact them to let them know the dates you will be out of town. Give them your contact information as well as an emergency contact or the information of whoever is house-sitting or watching your home while you are away.
19. HIRE A HOUSE-SITTER
Hiring a house sitter, or asking a family member to check on your home while you are out of town can bring you peace of mind. A house sitter will live at your house while you are gone, and can inform you if anything happens while you are away. They will make sure your home is protected and running like normal. If something unexpected happens, someone will be there to take care of it for you.
A house-sitter can take care of your pets, and plants, and bring in the mail every day.
We usually have a family member and one of our trusted friends stop by to check the mail, water the plants, and make sure the house is okay. We also have security cameras that alert us for any activity, just in case!
If we didn’t have the option for people to check on the house for us while on an extended trip, we would hire someone house-sits.
Is there another important step that you take before leaving your home for vacation? We would love to know your preparation and travel tips!
Until next time,
The Traveling Tylers
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