What To Do In Your Home Before Vacation

 As summer approaches, many of you are planning to get away. With all the packing and scheduling it is easy to forget to safely secure your home.  Here are a few ideas you probably didn’t think of before you depart.

What To Do In Your Home Before Vacation


  1. Make sure your home feels lived in. Let the neighbors know you’ll be gone.  Buy a few timers to turn lights on in the evening and off again later on to give the home a feeling of someone is inside.
  2. If you get the newspaper delivered cancel that while away and if possible the mail too or have a neighbor grab that each day for you.
  3. Consider installing a security camera. The cost of these has come way down.  They are easy to set up and some even record motion and you can speak through them and even hit a siren on some models.
  4. Set up a sprinkler on a water timer. If you cannot get a someone from the neighborhood to water the grass and plants.  Place a sprinkler in the right spot and put it on a timer.
  5. Shut off the water to the dishwasher and washing machine. This is a “just in case” thing to give you some peace of mind while you are gone. If you have a basement or an area prone to water leaks, consider placing a water alarm in that spot.  A device like the Honeywell Lyric Water Leak Alarm can send a notification to your cellphone if moisture is detected.
  6. If you live in a hot/humid climate leaving the A/C on may make sense but I would turn up the thermostat to 80 degrees or so just to help control humidity levels in the home while you are away.  A Nest Thermostat enables you to set and change your homes temperature from your cellphone.
  7. Remember to remove all the trash from inside the home so you don’t return to a big stink.

For more helpful tips, go to Tips.acehardware.com

Published: 3/9/2020