There you are, near dusk sun low and the soft rumble of waves whispers “shhh“, then crashing into the hush of your mind come the questions, ‘are the windows locked, is that old ham still in the ‘fridge, oh no – did the house key get moved ?” and there goes serenity. The following is a checklist created to helpfully give you a guide to verify everything was done and more than anything – peace of mind.
1. Turning off every electrical appliance and unplugging them will protect from any storm surges and save money too.
2 Both practical and necessary (unless the smell of rotting food is your thing), cleaning the refrigerator for perishables and taking the garbage out will also limit the chance of bugs.
3. Don’t feel stupid or paranoid for double and triple checking the locks. The idea is not to invite criminals.
4. Contact any normal delivery people, such as paper delivery or mail service to have them held until certain date or pickup arrangements with a neighbor may also suffice.
5. An unkempt yard be it leaves, snow or mowing is a tell tale sign of an empty home, and makes for a bigger bulls-eye. So in addition to the practical reasons having someone take care of exterior housekeeping is worth consideration.
6. Perhaps one of the most important and effective steps you can take to ensure peace of mind on the vacation is to have an extra set of trusted eyes. Having someone you can trust and depend on to look over home sweet home is priceless.
7. If it can be avoided at all cost, do not leave a house key hidden outside. Then carries even greater urgency if you will be on vacation for any length of time.
8. Much like yard maintenance, if the capability to set timers for interior lights it creates a great deterrent and the image that this home is presently occupied.
9. While turning off all electrical appliances, all electrical machines such as televisions and computers should also be shut down and unplugged. A checklist for all the machines and appliances in your home can be a good way to ensure yourself that everything was done.
10. Many homes today have alarm systems and companies that back them. Advising these security persons and or the local police that there will be an extended absence at your residence provides another layer of protection – just in case.
11. High target and small valuables can be stored in a safe-deposit box, this not only provides theft protection but also the protection from losing a valuable necklace or ring on vacation due to accident or theft as well.
12. Don’t forget those furry, little spoiled extensions of the family that we love will need to be cared for also, so contacting a service or friend needs to be checked of the list too.
13. Checklist is done. Car and bags packed, and the lights are off and then comes that sigh of relief. The next three weeks are going to be heaven sent! You grab that checklist, glance it once and – Wait! That’s right, forget to set the thermostat, 55 degrees seems about the optimum temperature for too many reasons to go into now…there’s a vacation waiting.