Vacation Prepping Your Home

We are in the thick of summer vacation time and preparing your home for your vacation is as important as preparing yourself!  The following tips will help you to get your home in great shape for your departure, leaving a calm and well-stocked environment to return to!

* Book with the kennel or pet sitter early and stock up on food (& litter if applicable) a week before you leave.

* Using a trusted pet sitting service makes things easier for pets and their owners.  A pet sitting service can come to your home and walk your dogs (kennels often charge extra for daily walks) or play with your cat, administer medicine and for a small fee many services will collect mail and water the plants.  Best of all, your pets stay comfortably in their own home. 

* A week before you leave create a simple prep schedule. You want to be able to pack and prepare your house in the easiest and least stressful way possible.  Complete a major and minor preparation activity each day of the week such as purchasing new swimwear and packing an item or two in your suitcase.

* Pack a little each day starting a week before your trip.  Lay out your suitcase and add something to it each day.  For example, 7 days ahead put your camera and travel-size toiletries in the bag. 

* Do yourself a favor and shop for non-perishables two days before you leave so that you’ll return to a house stocked with toilet paper, paper towels, drinks, snacks and perhaps a homemade frozen one dish meal in the freezer that can be defrosted and popped in the oven upon your return.  That way all you need to shop for upon your return will be milk, produce, eggs, etc. - not a full shopping trip.

* Making sure your home is stocked with fresh towels, making your bed with clean sheets and unloading the dishwasher will give you extreme peace of mind as you leave.  Don’t forget to take out the trash! Prepare your home when you go on vacation as if your most treasured guest will be coming to visit – and they will be- you!  What a great luxury to return home from your vacation to a home that is ready to be lived in and is clean and organized.

* Perform a one-hour home “once-over” the day before you leave.  Clean the toilets and sinks and go through each room quickly and pick up items that don’t belong and take them back to their homes!  Clutter-free surfaces are very calming to come home to.

* Identify all bills that may come due while you are gone and pay them early or if you pay bills online, set them up with an auto-pay date.

* Develop a return-home routine: start a load of laundry, set out your one-dish meal to defrost, unpack your suitcase and download all of your pictures!  Getting your photos posted to your favorite picture-sharing site immediately and ordering prints will eliminate the guilt of having them sitting in your camera for several months after your trip!

* Develop a travel exchange with a neighbor:  when either of you goes out of town the other will gather mail or newspapers, take your trash can down to the end of the driveway, etc.  Leave a copy of your itinerary and contact numbers with that same neighbor in case an emergency involving your house or pets should arise.