Preparing Your Home Before You Go on Vacation

As you can imagine, vacation homes in Southwest Florida are incredibly popular. And every year, people from all over the country (and the world) flock to our sandy shores to spend time. Whether they’re coming for a week or a few months, it’s a good idea to prepare your principal residence before you head off.

Because we live in a very popular vacation area, and I’ve helped so many clients find vacation homes, I’ve picked up a few tips on the subject. Best of all, all of these are fairly simple and easy to check off your list before you embark for our world-class beaches and amenities.

Let a neighbor know you’re leaving

Even if I’m just going away for the weekend, I like to let a neighbor know. This can provide you peace of mind as they keep an eye out on your property.

Schedule your lighting

If you haven’t yet grabbed a cost-effective tool for lighting schedules, I definitely recommend doing so before going on vacation. This way, your home will still look like it’s lived in while you’re away.

Stop the newspaper and mail delivery

On that note, we probably all know this age-old tip. But it always is worth repeating, and you can’t imagine how many times I’ve seen people forget it. You don’t want those papers piling up and signaling your house is empty!

Hire a lawn service

For Southwest Florida property owners, we have many times during the year when grass can grow inches in a week. So, I like to suggest having your lawn service stop by every 2 weeks or so, just to do a trim and touch up the landscaping, so things don’t get overgrown while you’re away.

Take care of your indoor plants

Speaking of plants, you can’t imagine how many people forget their indoor plants before they leave on vacation! If you have a neighbor or a family member stop by once in a while, they can care for your plants; otherwise, another solution will be needed.

Turn up your AC

This is another one that is especially relevant for those of us in Florida and the surrounding states. But it still applies to people throughout the country. Now, I don’t recommend turning off your AC, but merely matching the outside temperature more closely.

Check your garage door lock

We’ve talked about garage door locks previously, and this is one step you shouldn’t skip. The garage is often an entry point for burglars, because it’s less often secured and once they have access, they can easily close the garage door and take their time.

Walk your property

You might be in a hurry to get to that Southwest Florida vacation home but checking over your property ensures you don’t forget anything. From the inside and outside, I do a visual inspection that everything is in its place and as it should be.

There’s probably so many more tips we can talk about, I want to hear from you! What are your best steps for preparing your home before you go on vacation?

Terry Records