While leaving home for a few days or a week or two does not usually require much preparation, when you are going to be away for weeks or even months at a time, you need to take a more practical approach. The more preparation you put in before you leave home, the easier it will be to switch off while you are away and the safer your home will be in your absence. Whether you are away for pleasure or for work, if you are leaving an empty property behind, here are five things to do before you leave home for a long period of time.
1. Do your usual housework
When you arrive home, think how you will feel if it is messy or dirty. It will be a less-than-welcoming return if you feel that you need to get straight on top of the cleaning. Not only that, but a dirty home might also lead to unpleasant smells developing or to flies taking over. So, make time to do all your cleaning tasks and to clear out any foods in the fridge or rubbish in the bins that will start to fester or attract pests. Also, you will probably be doing lots of washing, drying, and packing of clothes for your trip, but be sure not to leave any wet clothes in the washing machine.
2. Get your heating and plumbing systems checked
It is important that your heating and plumbing systems are checked by a professional company such as gjsplumbingandheating.co.uk. They will be able to check that there are no small cracks that could lead to leaks while you are away, and it is important to have peace of mind that the gas supply to your boiler is in a safe state. You might also want to schedule your heating to an ‘away’ setting, so it does not waste energy, but comes on regularly enough to prevent the system from becoming clogged with sludge or frozen in cold weather. If you have a smart system, you could even set it to heat the home up a few hours before your arrival home.
3. Unplug your appliances
Another safety measure is to ensure all your electronic appliances are turned off at the wall, including your TV, chargers, computers, and Wi-Fi router. This avoids you wasting electricity and coming home to an unnecessarily large bill, but more importantly it reduces the risk of an electrical fire.
4. Set up timers for your lights
To reduce the risk of break-ins while you are away, it is a good idea to put your lights on timers either by installing smart bulbs or by using analogue timers at the outlet. You can then schedule your lights to come on during the evening to give the impression that someone is home, as this can be enough to deter a burglar.
5. Double check all the windows and doors
Just before you leave for your trip, do a final check of all the entry points into your property. This includes the doors and windows of both your home and any outbuildings or garages, ensuring all are properly closed and locked.
To read more on topics like this, check out the Travel category
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