Checklist for Your Home When Leaving for a Summer Holiday
Wednesday, July 15th, 2009
Going away on holiday offers the promise of a period of stress-free fun, so don’t ruin all that by returning home to find that all your prized plants have perished or worse still that you’ve been burgled.
Additionally, if travelling abroad there are important documents you must put at the top of your list, namely your passport, airline tickets and your wallet or purse. So, before leaving for home make sure that you compile a checklist and tick off items as you work your way through them; both items to take and things to do before you leave.
If you are a keen gardener or have prized indoor pot plants, or perhaps you have an aquarium stocked with fish, you will also need to arrange for those to be looked after in your absence. Ensure that the person responsible has a schedule for watering or feeding and if looking after fish or other pets knows who to contact if they become ill.
Depending on the amount of time that you are planning to go away for, it may be worth cleaning out the fridge and even defrosting the freezer before you go. Unnecessarily running the fridge or freezer while away can be very costly. Careful meal planning in the days coming up to your holiday allows you to turn off such appliances - saving you money that can all be added to the holiday fund.
Many people also ask their friends, family or neighbours to pop into the house and pick up post. If you intend to do this make sure that you personally hand your keys to whoever will be responsible for mail duty. Do not leave a spare key under a plant pot, doormat or even inside a letterbox attached to a piece of string because that is the first place that thieves will look. In the event that you do get burgled you may also find that your home contents insurance policy is invalidated, as you owe a duty of care to your insurers to secure your home. Leaving a key in an obvious accessible place is not protecting or securing your home so give it directly to the person in which you are placing your trust.
However, if you are leaving your home empty while you go on holiday then there are steps you can take to minimise the risk of burglary. You can arrange for your mail to be retained by Royal Mail via a service known as Keepsafe. That will avoid the tell-tale sign that your house is not occupied by preventing a build up of mail on the doormat.
In addition you can buy timer switches to turn your lights on and off at intervals to give the impression of occupancy. The golden rule though is not to close your curtains when you go away as that is an obvious sign of non-occupancy. Providing you prepare your checklist well in advance and adhere to it, you should have a stress-free and wonderful holiday.
Adam Singleton writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.
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