Preparing your home before a holiday is a considerably less enticing task than planning your trip and packing your bags.
But ensuring your home is safe, maintaining cleanliness and implementing some energy-saving precautions are all essential tasks.
The kitchen often calls for the most thorough preparation, with food preservation, hygiene and electrical hazards all important considerations.
There is, of course, the question of what to do with your curtains and lighting (which we answer below,) as well as some things you may not have considered such as emptying a coffee machine, putting out air fresheners and opening wardrobe doors.
Below, we have created a comprehensive checklist of essential pre-holiday tasks for every room in your home.
What to do throughout the home
Put out new air fresheners or pot pourri. Your home can become quite stale over the course of a week or two, especially if all your windows are shut. Air fresheners will help to diffuse pleasant smells for your return.
Put lamps on a timer. "If you have an automatic timer on your lights, set it to turn on and off in the evenings at pre-programmed times. Or, make use of external security lights which will warn off potential intruders and give the impression of someone being at home," says Lizzie Beesley, kitchen specialist from Magnet.
Use a dehumidifier. Without sufficient air circulation, your home is susceptible to mold growth. A dehumidifier can be put on an automatic timer for a few hours every day.
Reset heaters and thermostats. If your heating comes on automatically, remember to reset the thermostat so you're not wasting energy.
Turn off the water at the mains. "Water leaks are one of the most common domestic disasters holidaymakers return home to. They’ll cause considerable damage and expense if left unattended, so remember to turn off your water supply at the mains," says Lizzie. "The stopcock is usually located in the cupboard under the kitchen sink or where the service pipe comes into your home."
Pause regular deliveries. If you have any subscriptions, or automatic deliveries from Amazon for instance, remember to pause them so you don't have a pile of boxes drawing attention to your front door.
Consider smart technology. Many appliances – including all lighting and even your blinds – can be controlled remotely from your smartphone. In the same vein, you can receive a live stream from security cameras.
Prepare your indoor plants. Move your plants away from the windows so they aren't overexposed to heat, but keep them in sunlight. Water generously before you leave – still allowing excess water to drain fully so they aren't sitting in water. Or use some Hydrospikes that stick into your plant's soil and keep them hydrated.
Call on friends and family. Having someone pop into your home to open or close curtains, turn on different lights and leave a car in your driveway is always the best option when you're away.
Set up automated payments. Returning home to unpaid bills and a few reminders is not the ideal welcome. Automate your payments, or settle everything beforehand.
How to prepare your kitchen
What to switch off: Ovens, dishwashers, microwaves, washing machines, kettles, coffee machines, toasters and other countertop gadgets in your home should be switched off before departure.
What not to switch off: Never unplug the fridge or freezer, and only turn off the boiler during winter months to prevent your pipes from freezing.
Take out the bins. Rubbish and recycling left out can attract pests and leave an unpleasant odour.
Clean out the fridge. Any food likely to spoil can spread mould, even when it's kept in the fridge, so freeze anything that can't be eaten and clean your fridge thoroughly.
Empty fruit bowls. A lot of fruit can be left for up to a week without spoiling, but do remember that any fruit left out is susceptible to fruit flies.
Don't forge the coffee machine. Wet coffee grounds left in your machine are the perfect breeding ground for mould, so don't forget to add them to your cleaning list. "Coffee machines are a staple in many of our kitchens nowadays and since coffee grounds are tucked away within the machine, it’s easy to overlook clearing them out amongst all your holiday prep," says Lizzie. "It’s a simple step to miss, but take the time to clean to do so!"
Prepare the dishwasher. Run a cycle and leave the dishwasher door open slightly to let excess water evaporate.
Clean the kitchen sink. Drains can start to smell due to a build up of food residue and stagnant water so thoroughly clean your sink and drain before departure.
Seal dry food. As your doors and windows will be shut for a prolonged period of time your kitchen is likely to become hotter than usual. Remember that heat affects the quality of food, so seal up any boxed goods like cereal, pasta or rice or pop them in Tupperware.
Things to remember in the bedroom
Change your sheets. It's so much nicer to return home to fresh bedlinen.
Leave wardrobe doors open. Bedrooms can become humid in the summer months, which can lead to the spread of mould. Leave doors and wardrobes open for better ventilation.
Don't forget curtains. Drawing blinds during the day is a bit of a giveaway that the home is unoccupied. "Leave them slightly open to give the impression that someone is in, but not enough for people to peer directly in," says Lizzie.
Rotate your mattress. If you have a two-sided mattress, this is a great time to flip it, or otherwise rotate top to bottom.
How to prepare a garden
Remove anything flimsy. Look for items in your front garden that could blow over in a gust of winds – something that falls over and remains so for a number of weeks could be a giveaway that no one is home.
Clean up your rubbish and recycling bins. Leaving anything in outdoor bins can attract pests and create an unpleasant odour, especially in summer months.
Mow your garden. An overgrown front lawn can be a telltale sign that you are away, so mow your front garden and water your plants to create the impression of a regularly maintained garden.
Put your car away. Park your car in your garage, even if it is just to protect it from the elements. And ensure there is no left over food or drink in holders or in the back seat that could go off.
Read more at CountryLiving.com
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