Precautions to Take Before Leaving for Vacation

 

Going on a vacation is supposed to be an opportunity for one to recharge their batteries both mentally and physically. This is why being torn apart by constantly thinking about your unguarded home defeats the whole purpose of this idea. Fortunately, by taking just a couple of necessary steps of precaution, you can make this a lot easier to manage. All in all, here are several precautions you need to take before leaving for a vacation.

1. Think about What You’re Leaving Behind

In a lot of cases, what you’re leaving behind is what you’ll return to. For instance, if you have a faulty installation or an appliance in your home and you leave it plugged in, the chances are that it’s not going to end up well. The same goes for your plumbing. So, unless you have a house-sitter, it’s for the best to shut off both the power and water until you’re home. Also, you might want to check your roof, just in case that there’s a downpour while you’re away. This is why it’s a good idea to start looking into roof repair companies in your vicinity.

2. Pre-Vacation Chore List

Speaking of things that you’re leaving behind, there are a couple of tasks that you need to complete before leaving. Inspect your fridge, your trash can, and the rest of the place and get rid of things that are going to spoil by the time that you return (especially if you’re shutting off the power). Second, make sure that there’s no water in your pipes (indoors or outdoors) after you shut off the valve. While there may be an additional thing or two for you to do, these two are the major ones and can prevent the major disaster from occurring while you’re away. Also, keep in mind that while you’re gone, the chances that any problem will be noticed in time are not that great.

3. Don’t Announce It Online

One of the most important rules of leaving for a vacation is that you shouldn’t announce it online. Why? Well, because you have no idea who is listening to this. A lot of burglars are just waiting for a perfect opportunity to pounce on an undefended and uninhabited home. For this very reason, it would also be quite smart to wait until you come back from a vacation to start uploading pictures and videos you’ve taken there. Sure, for a lot of people, this would be quite hard but, truth be told, from the safety perspective, it’s the only logical thing to do.

4. Look For Some Help

Depending on how long the vacation is supposed to be, what you might want to consider doing is to hire someone to look after the place for you. Even if you don’t need them to stay at the place, you might ask your neighbors or friends to check in on it every once in a while. Also, if you have a pet, you virtually have two options – the first one is to take it with you on a journey, and the second one is to hire a pet sitter. While the first can be exciting and rewarding, it’s definitely not for everyone. Therefore, you might want to switch things up a bit.

In conclusion

All of the above-listed can be done with little to no effort on your part, and the amount of mental relief that it grants you is simply unparalleled. Shutting off the water and power takes a couple of minutes, and it is something that you can do minutes before departing your home. The biggest challenge, therefore, lies in finding a reliable person to guard your home while you’re away. This, however, is a story for another time.
 

Author Bio

Mia Ackerson is a Melbourne-based writer. Loves writing about home decorations and home improvements. She’s also interested in reading books, movies, music, baking, and gardening. You can follow her on twitter.