How To Prep Your Home Before Traveling

Preparing for travel is not always the easiest task. As you pack your bags for a trip, here's a detailed list to help you keep your home cared for and safe while you’re away. Scroll to the bottom for a quick checklist. 

Security

You’ll want to make sure that all of your doors and windows are locked and secure. Making your home appear occupied is also recommended as a deterrent to break-ins. You can easily make your home appear occupied by using programmable indoor and outdoor lights. Sensor lights and security cameras are great for adding protection to your home. New technology makes it easier to stay connected to your home with thermostats, lighting, doorbell, and cameras easily operated from your mobile device. 

Cleaning

Have you ever walked into a space that has been left stagnant for too long? It’s an invisible wall of misery. To minimize a very unpleasant welcome home, clean your space before leaving on your trip. Cleaning also prevents other unwelcome guests like bugs and dust accumulation. Maybe the biggest perk of leaving a clean home is not giving yourself extra chores when you return. Needing a vacation from your vacation is a real thing! Make your transition seamless so that you can walk in the door, pour yourself a drink, and kick your feet up. 

Our top tips for cleaning before you travel:

• Empty the dishwasher and washing machines. Leave their doors slightly ajar for the residual water to dry up. It’s common practice to run a load of dishes when you leave, which is actually a big no-no. Take the extra moment to wash and put items away. Leaving hot water in a dishwasher over an extended period will lead to mold growth. 
• Clean and run your garbage disposal using half a cup of vinegar and water to eliminate odor. Filling sinks with water and draining can help push through remnant particles and food from pipes. 
• Clean countertops prevent bugs. 
• Clean out the refrigerator and add a deodorizer. Don’t forget to clean out your coffee pot!
• Throw out all trash in the house (trust us, you don’t want to learn the hard way about maggots.)
• Dust and vacuum.

You may not want to bother with these chores before you leave, but your future self will thank you! 

Services and Emergency Contacts: There is nothing worse than being a week or two out from your trip and realizing you forgot to find care for your pets, plants, or belongings. 

Pet and House Sitters: Book these services or find a trusted care-giver early! Prefered service providers book up quickly in the summer months and your friends and family will have busy schedules themselves. Best practice is to secure your dates at the same time you plan your trip. If your service provider doesn’t book out far enough in advance, ask them when you should call back and set a reminder on your calendar. 

Pro Tip #1: Have a plan B. Booking in advance is the first step toward success but things can happen in the meantime. Have an alternative plan for your arrangements. 

Pro Tip #2: Find a neighbor you can swap weeks with! 

Emergency Contact: Create a contract list for cases of emergencies with a neighbor or friend. Things happen and someone should have the ability to have access to your home. We also suggest using lockboxes for spare keys in case emergency access is needed while you’re away.

Plants: Don’t forget your plants. So often, we leave our homes and come back to sad, wilted, and even dead plants. Prevent this from happening by scheduling someone to come care for your plants or using a self-watering system. Youtube is a great resource for learning more about self-watering. We recommend testing out your methods before traveling!

Lawn Care: If you have a lawn, be mindful of maintaining it before leaving or hire a professional to visit while you’re away. Bonus, a maintained yard is also a deterrent to break-ins, and you’ll avoid fines from the city for letting your grass get too high.

Trash pick-up/ Hold Mail/ Packages: When complete disposal of your trash is not doable ahead of time, plan for someone to take your trash to the curb for you, so you don’t miss your pick-up. 

Having your mail set to hold is quick and easy on www.usps.com. Check on any deliveries that might deliver in your absence and find a solution for pick-up. 

Unplug and turn down the thermostat: Except for your programmable lights, unplug as much as you can, including appliances, so they are not pulling energy. This saves you money and prevents electrical fires! Turn down your thermostat about 5 degrees. Note that turning down too far can dry out your plants too fast or make it uncomfortable for a pet that is staying home.
 

Quick Weekend Trip

• Tidy up, wipe counters, a quick vacuum, and unplug appliances
• Turn down the air conditioning
• Take out the trash
• Check laundry
• Check the coffee pot for leftover grinds 
• Check doors and windows are locked 
• Make your house appear occupied. Set lights with timers 
• Make sure you have proper care for your pets; schedule as far in advance as possible

Add These Tasks to the Previous List for Week Long Trip or Longer

• More thorough house cleaning
• Clean out the refrigerator, don't leave out any fruit on your counters, and add a deodorizer if you don’t already have one
• Water plants and give them a tested and trusted slow-release watering system or have someone come check on them.
• Ask a trusted person to check on your space once or twice a week 
• Hire a house sitter 
• Schedule pet care far in advance 
• Put your mail on hold www.usps.com 
• Mow your lawn and/or hire lawn care to service your lawn while away

At Flock, we believe that happy homes make for happy residents, who cultivate strong, local communities that sustain our city, DC. Check out our other posts for more happy home content!