Already made plans for the next winter vacation? As everyone does, you probably want everything to be precise, right? The destinations, clothes budget might be your top priority while planning a winter vacation. However, there is one more thing you should take a look at when leaving for winter location and that's your house. The one you are living in today.
You have to make sure your home stays in good condition if you are not present there for a full winter. During summers, it's fine to not care while leaving, but during winters, there are a lot of things you should be worried about, including thefts, cleanliness of your home, and pests. But, do not worry much about it, here we will let you know about how to get your home ready when leaving for winter vacation so you need not panic on your vacations.
Also, it is recommended to invest in a home weather station that can help predict the weather condition better. You can plan your holidays without letting the harsh weather ruining your day.
Prepare your house for cold temperatures
The chilling cold temperatures are more than enough to ruin your winter vacations even if you are not physically present there. To avoid that, you should prepare your house for the extreme cold temperatures.
Here are some ways to do that.
- Shut off the water connection- If you live in an area where the temperatures drop in minus, it's better to shut off the water connection. That is because, if you only close the faucets and if the water freezes inside, the pipes might burst and it would be messy.
- Unplug all appliances- You don’t want your house to be on fire because of a short circuit while you are abroad on a vacation. And for that, make sure you unplug all the electronic appliances in your house.
- Care for your plants- You can’t simply leave your plants to die in the chilly temperatures. If your area experiences frost, it's better you keep your plants at your neighbor's or at least ask someone to water them.
- Cover the vehicles- the cold temperatures can grievously affect your favorite car or bike, so make sure you place them in your garage or at least cover them using a vehicle cover. Likewise, keep them clean and dry from inside to avoid any bacteria growth.
Keep your house clean
No sane person would love watching the pests and molds conquering his/her house after returning from winter vacation. So, as they say, prevention is better than cure, you should take preventive measures to keep your house clean. Here are some ways through which you can keep the pests off.
- Remove the trash- Predominantly, bugs, pests, bacteria molds are attracted towards the trash. So, it's better if you remove every trash from your home before leaving for a vacation. It can include garbage, compost, or anything which might attract these small creatures.
- Remove food from the fridge- As you know, you are not going to return within a week. It's better to remove the leftover food from the fridge. If it's edible, try donating it to someone who needs it.
- Clean the used utensils- There is no way you can leave your house without doing the dishes unless you want to do it after enjoying your vacations. You have to wash them and the dishwasher too. Moreover, wipe them with a dry cloth so they can dry quickly.
- Keep the sinks clean- the sink is where most of the rotten food gets stuck and before going, you should clean it as well. You can use a sink cleaner if you cannot do it manually.
Prepare your house for break-ins
Only preparing your house for preventing the pest is not important, you should also make your house burglar proof. Many people have returned from a nice vacation only to find their house vandalized and costly possessions vanished. So make sure you follow these ideas to prepare your house for break-ins.
- Lock everything- the foremost and easy way to prevent a burglar attack is to lock every window and every door of your house. Also, the gates should be locked so robbers cannot even enter your area. Lastly, do check each window and door of your house before leaving.
- Storing valuables- it’s better if you take your valuable belongings with you for safety. However, if it’s not possible, you can store them in a strong safe. Also, do not write the safe’s password or keep it in an obvious place. It’s better if you keep it hidden somewhere.
- Set lights with timer- unlike olden times, now there are lights available on which you can set a timer. Also, there are some which can be controlled from a remote distance, but they are too costly. These lights with timers might keep some burglars away from your house as they can’t take a risk of entering a house with people.
- Avoid sharing too much on social media- there might be someone keeping an eye on every movement you do and that too through your social media. So, avoid posting all of your plans on social media as there are cases of people’s houses getting vandalized due to this.
Conclusion
Taking precautions is important while going anywhere and with all these precautions taken, you can freely enjoy your winter vacation without worrying about your home. These ideas will surely help in keeping your house as it is and you don’t have to take extra efforts after returning from a vacation.
Also, enjoy your vacation and do not let anything come in between you and your vacation.
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