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I’m a fairly new homeowner and there were a lot of things I learned as a first-time homeowner that I needed to do before I left on vacation. Thank goodness for my handyman and neighbors who taught me some of these tips because, without them, I probably would not have done most of these things.

Here is the checklist I go through whenever I go on vacation for more than a few days:

1 TURN OFF WATER SUPPLY

This is the first thing my handyman told me to do when I go on vacation. Turning off the main water supply will avoid any flooding mishaps like a burst pipe or some other plumbing failure. The shut-off valve is usually located where the water line comes into the house and mine is located in the front yard. For my valve, I need a solid steel water meter valve key to turn it off.

2 INFORM YOUR NEIGHBORS

Let your neighbors know that you will be away on vacation so that they can keep an eye on things for you if they do notice any suspicious activity. It’s also good to let them know in case you need them to pick up any packages that are left in front of the house.

3 HOLD MAIL

If I’m going on vacation for more than a week, I usually put my mail on hold until I get back. The process is very easy. All you have to do is go to the USPS website and click the Hold Mail button. From there, the steps are self-explanatory and you can choose your start and end dates. You can have the post office hold your mail for up to 30 days.

Mailbox in front of a house — Hold your mail

4 ADJUST TEMPERATURE

Since the house will be unoccupied, it’s a good idea to turn up the temperature while you are away to avoid wasting energy. I usually like to turn up the temperature to 80 degrees and when I get back, it doesn’t feel too bad in the house. It cools rather quickly when I turn it back down to around 76 degrees. If you’re leaving your home from a colder climate, do the opposite and turn down the temperature.

Many sources advise against turning the air conditioner completely off because you want to keep the air circulating so it doesn’t have time to condensate. Leaving the air conditioner on also keeps the house from overheating, which can impact wood doors, cabinets, and flooring.

Adjusting temperature on A/C unit — Raise temperature a few degrees

5 UNPLUG DEVICES

I try to unplug as many devices as I can before I leave to save on energy. Even though the devices are not being used, having them plugged in still draws power. This is called phantom power and average households will spend around $130 annually on this standby power.

It’s also a good idea to unplug electronics like televisions and computers in case a power surge happens while you’re away. Even if the devices are plugged into a surge protector, I still unplug the devices anyway since I’m not actively using them.

Unplugging devices from outlet — Unplug devices

6 TURN OFF WATER HEATER

My handyman also advised me to turn off my water heater while I’m on a long vacation. Since I turn off my main water supply, it’s best to shut down the water heater as a precaution until the supply resumes. Continuing to run the water heater when the tank isn’t full could cause heat damage to the internal components.

I have an electric water heater and turn it off by going to my breaker box and switching off the line to the water heater. Just remember to turn it back on as soon as you get back home from vacation because it will take about an hour to produce enough hot water for a shower.

Some water heaters have a “vacation mode” you can switch to, so if you have this option, this may be better than turning it completely off.

Water heater against brick wall — Photo by Алексей Вечерин

7 TURN ON LIGHTS

Turn on your porch light and any other outdoor lights to keep your house well-lit. Investing in motion-sensor lights is also a good idea. I have several battery-operated Ring motion-sensor lights around the house and they’re fairly inexpensive and easy to install.

You might also want to consider investing in outlet timers for your indoor lights. You can use these timers to program your lights to turn on and off at random times so it gives the sense that the house is occupied.

Battery-operated Ring motion-sensor light

8 PREPARE TRASH

A few days before I leave, I like to create a separate little bin for my trash like food scraps. On the day I leave, I throw away the small trash bag at a nearby dumpster or stuff it in the freezer until my return. This way, you will not have a smelly trash can that attracts pests.

9 KEEP PLANTS WATERED

If you have a lot of indoor plants like me, you’ll want to keep your plant babies alive while you are away. The best solution I found for this are plant watering stakes. I’ve used these plant watering stakes several times already and they work wonders. They have kept all of my plants alive and well for the past couple of years.