How to Prepare Your Home for Vacation

Protect Your Property Even When You’re Far From Home

If you’re heading out of town on a well-deserved vacation, the last thing you need is to be concerned about what’s happening at home. With a few simple preparation tips, you can make sure your trip is fun and worry-free.

Find a Pet Sitter or House Sitter

Part of your initial planning should include making arrangements for someone to take care of your pets and your home while you’re away. Whether you choose to have someone stay over, or just come in daily to take care of your pets and plants, make sure they’re either a trusted friend or family member, or working with a well-vetted and insured company.

Put a Hold on Mail Delivery

For those without pets who aren’t using a house sitter, contact the post office to hold your mail for the dates you’ll be gone. It’ll keep the mail from piling up and prevent it from being apparent that no one’s home. Resume delivery for the day after you’re scheduled to get back to allow for travel delays and some time to unpack.

Give a Trusted Neighbor Your Contact Info

We believe neighbors should always look out for one another! If you have neighbors you know and trust, leave them your phone number before you depart, so they can let you know if something happens that you should be aware of. Consider bringing back a small souvenir as thanks for being available and neighborly!

Arrange for Lawn Care

The last thing you want to do is come home from a relaxing vacation to an overgrown yard. If you’ll be away for more than a week, hire a lawn service to cut the grass and trim back bushes, so it’s one less thing to worry about upon your return.

Weatherproof Your Yard

Spring weather can be unpredictable, so make sure your yard is ready for whatever Mother Nature may bring! Secure loose items or bring them inside in case of high winds and make sure you don’t have any containers that water can accumulate in.  

Keep Your Energy Costs Down

You’ve planned and budgeted for your trip; don’t come home to a surprise energy bill! Minimizing the amount of energy used to cool your home means you won’t run up any big bills while you aren’t even home. Some tips to cut down on cooling costs:

  • Close your shades. Keeping shades, blinds, and curtains closed will prevent the sun from heating up your home in the daytime and can prevent your AC system from turning on unnecessarily. 
  • Use a smart thermostat’s vacation mode to minimize the amount your AC runs while you’re gone, while making sure it runs frequently enough to avoid any unexpected problems with the system.
  • No smart thermostat? Set your manual thermostat higher (77 to 80 degrees is a good temperature to aim for) to avoid cooling an empty house. 

Get Your AC Tuned Up

Before you leave, schedule your annual AC maintenance and beat the spring and summer rush. Regular maintenance helps prevent system failure during the peak season, keeps your AC system running efficiently, and can extend the life of your system. Scheduling your maintenance visit before your system is in regular use means that when the temperature starts rising, you’ll be ready without delay.

With the HomePro Maintenance Plan, we’ll help you keep on schedule for all your regular maintenance. You don’t even have to remember to schedule – we’ll call you when you’re due for service! Give our technicians a call at (317) 271-2655 to find out more.