Preparing your house for winter vacation
Winter is coming! And while it’s the perfect time of year to cozy up with a book, we all know that winter can be a little rough on your home.
Here are some quick tips to make sure your space is ready for the holidays:
Change your air filters! If you’ve been noticing allergens in the air, it might be time to change out your filters. Make sure you get both the main one and any in-cabinet filters as well.
Wash windows! Just like with changing your air filters, washing windows will give you a good look at what’s going on outside—and inside—your home. The best way to do this is by using vinegar and water in a spray bottle. Spray down all windowsills and windowpanes with this solution, then wipe them clean with a cloth or paper towel. You’ll be surprised at how much dust comes off!
Launder your linens! You don’t want to go away for vacation without fresh sheets and towels for yourself and your family members (or guests). We recommend washing everything before you leave so that when you get back, all you have to do is put them on the bed or hang them up!
Tips to prepare your home for winter vacation
Reassess your insurance policy
Before you head out of town during the winter months, it’s a good idea to re-evaluate your insurance policy so you know what’s covered and what isn’t in terms of weather and burglary-related incidents.
For example, State Farm offers comprehensive coverage for most incidents that could affect your property while you’re away from it. They also have a number of tips to help you prevent incidents before they happen and keep your property safe.
Protect your home against electrical and plumbing issues
Keeping electronic devices plugged in while you’re away not only racks up your electrical bill, it can cause expensive and potentially dangerous issues. For example, an electrical short near faulty wiring or flammable material could cause a fire, which likely won’t be caught quickly when no one’s home.
If you live in a cold climate, and no one’s been using the plumbing for an extended period of time, your pipes could freeze and burst. Calling the plumber as soon as you get back from your trip is probably the last thing you want to do.
The best way to avoid these issues is to unplug every electrical plug in your home (including TVs and routers) before you leave and set your thermostat closer at a lower temp (no lower than 55 degrees F), which should still protect your plants, pets and furniture (or invest in a thermostat that has an “away” setting and will adjust automatically).
In terms of plumbing, although it may sound counterintuitive, State Farm notes it’s a good idea to keep a few of your faucets dripping with hot and cold water. This helps keep the water running through your plumbing, which helps prevent frozen and cracked pipes.
Keep it clean
While it may be tempting to say, “I’m going on vacation, I don’t need to clean!” coming home to a dirty, smelly house is never fun. For example, if you don’t at least throw away food in your fridge that’s expired or expiring, your vacation decompression will be filled with multiple trips to the outdoor garbage cans.
It doesn’t have to be a full deep clean. If you simply do a load of laundry, a quick sweep of the fridge and maybe a light vacuuming, you’ll come home to a much more welcoming space that might help you feel like you’re still on vacation.
Note any dangerous-looking trees in your yard
Do you have a tree on your property that looks like it might keel over if hit with a strong wind gust? Or perhaps there’s a tree with widespread branches that hang over your roof and could break and fall after a particularly heavy snowfall?
If you have any trees that fit these profiles, or simply look precarious, it’s a good idea to have them checked out by a tree expert before you leave on vacation. The expert will tell you if any trees need to be braced, have branches removed or need to be taken down altogether. While it will be an upfront expense, it will likely be far less expensive than fixing the damage a tree can do should it fall on your house.
Here are several more tips from State Farm to help you avoid costly weather-related damage like roof cave ins from heavy snow, water damage and personal injury during snow removal.
Check all the windows and doors
Right before heading out on your vacation, make sure to check all the entry points into your house to see if any are open or unlocked. Thieves will look for any way in they can find — don’t think that simply locking the front door will deter them.
Make sure important parties know you’re going out of town
It’s a good idea to notify your credit card companies and home security company that you’re going to be away so that they know to be on alert to unusual charges and activity. If you don’t have a home security system yet, there’s no better time to have one installed.
State Farm offers great suggestions if you don’t know where to start. And while we’re on security, it’s also wise to alert a trustworthy neighbor to your upcoming absence so they can keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary.
Take steps to make it look like you never left
Thieves often case neighborhoods for empty-looking houses because they’re the easiest to rob. However, if it looks like business as usual at your house, odds are they’ll steer clear. Have that same friendly neighbor park their car in your driveway and pick up your mail and newspapers so they don’t pile up.
Make sure no deliveries are scheduled to come while you’ll be away. Install motion-activated light sensors on any outdoor flood lights. It’s also a good idea to connect your electricity via a smartphone app so you can regularly turn lights on and off.
If you can install a smart home security system that allows you to check various areas of property from anywhere, even better. Finally, keep some blinds/curtains open a bit so when your lights turn on, they’ll be clearly visible from the outside.