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Expert Reveals Seven Tips To Prepare Your Home Before Going On Holiday
The school holidays are only a few weeks away, and millions across the country will be going away for a summer vacation, whether that is in the UK or abroad. These typically last between a few nights and two weeks.
Whilst you’re away you want the peace of mind that your home will be exactly as you left it when you return. However, this isn’t always the case, grass can overgrow, food goes mouldy and rooms begin to smell.
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So Joshua Houston, Property Expert at Household Quotes has revealed seven tips to prepare your home before going on holiday. Following them will ensure you return to a clean house where you can relax after many hours of travelling.
1. Keep Your Inside Doors Open
Before you leave to go on your much-deserved summer holiday, open the inside doors of your home. This allows air to circulate, preventing bad smells from building up in individual rooms. Make sure to include washing machine and dishwasher doors as well, as these areas are particularly vulnerable to the build-up of foul odour.
2. Empty Your Fridge
You’d be surprised by how many people forget to empty their fridge before a holiday, go through each item and check the expiry date. Throw away what will run out, or if you don’t want to be wasteful, offer the item to a friend, family member or neighbour. Give your fridge a thorough clean as food leakages can cause equally bad smells, and then when you return you have a fresh fridge to refill.
3. Clean Your Home
Travelling home can be exhausting, so imagine the feeling when you finally walk through your front door to find a filthy house. To prevent this, do a deep clean before your holiday, you will be more motivated and it will result in a nice feeling once you arrive home. Hoover your carpets, wipe down surfaces and put away any loose items sitting around the house.
4. Change Your Sheets
As mentioned in the previous point, you’ll likely be exhausted when you return home. Changing your sheets before your time away will ensure you the best possible sleep when you get back. It will also keep your bedroom smelling fresh, dirty sheets can cause a musty smell due to the sweat and oils from your body.
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5. Unplug Electrical Devices
‘Phantom’ electricity is where devices use electricity despite not being used. Unplug all non-essential devices, this will lower the amount of electricity being used in your home whilst you’re away. This not only reduces your bill at the end of the month but massively decreases the chance of a fire.
6. Mow Your Grass
Grass is something that can quickly get out of control whilst you’re away, especially if you’re gone for longer than a week. Mowing the areas around your home will minimise the total amount of overgrowth. Not doing this will make the job of cutting the grass much more difficult on your return, as well as irritating your neighbours.
7. Hide Your Valuables
The chances of you being burgled whilst you’re away are slim, however, some thieves are known to target homes whose owners are away on holiday. So before you start relaxing, hide the valuable items out of plain sight. This means in the event of a break-in, the chances of all of your expensive items being found are slim.
Joshua Houston, Property Expert at Household Quotes:
‘’Going on holiday is an exciting time, but correctly preparing your home is crucial for the maintenance and the security of your property.
Leave yourself as little housework to do as possible when you return from your travels. The time before you go away will be when you’re the most motivated. Not maintaining your home, for example, having long grass has also been known to attract burglars. It’s a way for them to tell that the property has not been occupied for a while.’’
Joshua Houston, Property Expert
