How To Take Care Of Your Home Before A Long Trip Overseas

Taking care of your home before a long trip overseas is essential. You need to ensure that you have all of your ducks in a row so nothing goes wrong while you’re gone. 

 

That’s where this post can help. We look at some of the ways to take care of your home and protect it until you return, whether you’re going away for a week or a year. 

 

Store Your Valuables

 

The first step is to find somewhere to store all the valuables that you won’t be bringing with you. You’ll want to think about where you’ll put things like documents, jewelry, and other sentimental items. 

 

If you have any digital valuables, you’ll want to back these up too. Nobody breaking into your home should be able to access any of your electronics or hard drives, so many make sure everything has a strong password. 

 

Tell Key People You’ll Be Away

 

The next step is to tell key people in your life that you’ll be away. You should share your travel plans with individuals you trust, like neighbors and friends, and provide them with your emergency contact details. 

 

If you have a property manager, tell them too. They can check in and ensure that everything is okay from time to time to eliminate worry. 

 

Maintain Your Home’s Appearance

Before you set off, you’ll also want to maintain your home’s appearance. It shouldn’t look rundown or abandoned, as that can attract unwanted attention. 

 If you can fit your home with smart bulbs that turn on and off while you’re away on a timer, that can help. These bulbs can make it seem like someone’s home, even if you’re a long way away.

Another effective way to increase your home security and maintain its appearance while you’re away is installing landscaping lighting. Residential lighting installation can illuminate your home’s exterior, deterring potential intruders while adding an additional layer of safety. When placed properly around walkways, driveways, and garden areas they create the illusion of a lived-in property while adding extra security. 

You also want to clean the house. It shouldn’t be messy or dusty.

 

Handle Mail

 

You should also look into the various ways you’re going to handle the mail when it arrives through your letterbox. Packagers and deliveries may need to be left outside or with a neighbor. 

 

If you can cancel subscription boxes, that’s a good idea. You don’t want them piling up or to have to pay for them when you aren’t actually there. 

 

Arrange Plant And Pet Care

In addition, you’ll want to arrange your plant and pet care. Someone needs to look after these while you’re gone, preferably who also has keys to access to your home. 

 

If you want to avoid coming home to a house overrun with ants, you may also want to involve pest control. They can look for signs of entry and deal with problems before they blow up out of control. 

 

Prevent Utility Issues

 

Finally, you’ll want to prevent utility issues by doing things like shutting off the water supply and draining pipes. It’s a good idea to unplug all the electronics in your home to save energy and reduce fire risks. If you can set your thermostat to a lower temperature, that can help, too. You want it to be around 50-55°F in winter to prevent pipes from freezing and above 80-85°F during the summer to prevent excessive heat.