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It’s always so exciting to be going on holiday, especially if it has been impending for a long time. And whilst you get to packing your suitcases for your time away, it’s also important to think about and plan all of the things you need to do to your home before you go so that you can enjoy your holiday stress-free.
Cleaning
No one likes to come back to a home that is disorganised and unclean. And whilst you certainly don’t need to clean meticulously before you go away, it’s a good idea to do some basic things like sweeping, hoovering and clearing out the refrigerator of any things that can go bad in that time period. This will give you less immediate cleaning right after you return from your vacation.
Emptying the bins
No matter how short your trip is, it is always practical and wise to clean out your trash cans before you leave. Even though it is a part of the overall cleaning, when you’re in a hurry it can be something that is largely forgotten about. Forgetting to do it may not only result in bad odours but may also invite insects and pests into your house.
Do a home security assessment
Making sure your home is secure when going on holiday should be your number one consideration. You should seek expert advice from a professional locksmith who will carry out a free home security and audit of your doors and window locks, making any recommendations. Stephen Fretwell is an established and experienced locksmith covering the South Yorkshire region and advises that “it is well worth investing in the best security you can afford to both deter intruders and prevent physical entry to your home. By installing high security door locks as well as sash jammers to uPVC doors and windows you will be able to go on holiday with peace of mind that your home is safe and secure.”
Electricals and Home Systems
Any electricals or home systems like security or lighting should be left on to ensure safety from the burglars. While leaving the lights on may still seem logical to you, leaving on your heavy electronics such as the HVAC system or water heater might not. If you have been wondering about turning off your water heater in your absence, then you should probably leave it on. Sometimes, starting the water heater after a break can become trickier. So what you can do instead is readjust the settings to the minimum. You should do this especially if you are living in extremely cold temperatures. This will not only help you to save as much as possible on your electricity bill but also prevent your water from freezing.
Fire Precautions
Again a no-brainer, you being away means your house will be left by itself. Therefore, you need to ensure that all the fire safety precautions in the house are functioning so that an accidental fire can be averted. Also, it can be a good idea to notify some neighbours that you trust that you are going away in case something happens and they can call emergency services right away or get in contact with you for any smaller issues.
Managing Mail Service
After a long holiday, the last thing you would want is to rummage through unimportant emails and subscriptions. If you are planning to be on a long getaway, it would be better to pause them up for the required duration. Also, if you expect any important correspondence during that period and you fear that it may get lost, you can always ask a friend to keep an eye out for it for you.
Getting everything done in time before embarking on any journey can be quite stressful, but it can save the stress when you return from your holiday. So, it is better to sort out all the things and enjoy your holiday without having to worry about coming back to tons of things to do and sort out.
Welcome to Birds and Lilies! I'm Lou: mother, blogger and freelance writer. This is my lifestyle blog, where I talk about motherhood, infertility and IVF, beauty, my love for food and wine, as well as my thoughts about stuff, and our real-life and travel adventures.
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