Tips to keep in mind for your home before you go on vacation

SECURITY

When you leave the house alone, you’re much more vulnerable to burglary. It’s a very unpleasant situation that we must avoid at all costs. The protection of the home is one of the most important points to consider.

The most fragile points of home security are the doors and windows. Locking all doors and leaving windows closed is a must before you leave (during the holidays and let’s not forget during your day-to-day life). Having windows reinforced with aluminium frames and reinforced glass is a good option. 

Pretend you haven’t left. Take into account small details such as leaving the blinds up a bit, asking someone to pick up your cards, leaving clothes on or even leaving lights on. In this last case, make sure they are LED bulbs to reduce consumption and help yourself to a programmer to control the hours you turn them on.

Do not leave valuables and money in sight, and if possible, do not keep them inside the home either. Otherwise, make sure you leave them in a safe. Also, don’t leave copies of your keys hidden outside.

Keep an eye on your social networks. Nowadays it is very standardized to share everything to the social networks, but you have to be careful with the information that is published, since it can play against you.

In addition to these tips, you can opt for other security measures for the home but which involve financial investment. Alarm systems, generally connected to the police or video surveillance systems, which allow you to see and hear in real time everything that happens in your home, can be a good option to guarantee this extra security and to be able to leave 100% safe.

We all like to see that our home is tidy, organized and smells good. That’s why the following tips are essential to be able to return from vacation and have this feeling when you get home.

If you have plants, take into account their needs for light and water. You can use automatic watering systems and leave them in an area of the house where they have enough light. Another option is to ask someone you trust to take a look at them a couple of times a week. 

It’s not enough to just turn off the taps. The safest thing is to turn off the water and gas taps to avoid possible leaks while you are away and to avoid problems with the neighbours.

Make sure you turn off or unplug all small household appliances and devices that don’t have to be running while you’re away, such as TVs, computers, the router… You’ll save energy and money.

It’s a good opportunity to take advantage of and do general household cleaning. With a good cleaning we make sure we do not generate bad odors, clean bacteria and most importantly, not have double work on the return.

The days before you leave, don’t make a big purchase. Go and finish off all the food that expires and leave the fridge empty or only those foods that don’t spoil. That way you make sure you find everything in perfect condition when you return. If you take a long trip, you can also choose to leave it completely empty and unplugged. However, always with the doors open a little to avoid humidity.

Attention to the small details that are essential before you go on holiday.

Change the sheets and leave a clean one on. You’ll appreciate it when you return and are busy unpacking and setting up washing machines.

Check all the rubbish bags and clean the bins to avoid unwanted insects and animals.

Before finishing, we leave you with the check list of all the aspects that you should review of the home before going on vacation with the most important points so that you don’t leave anything behind and you can leave well relaxed and enjoy your vacation:

Close windows and doors with key

Turn off water and gas taps

Leaving the house clean and tidy

Disconnect small appliances

Leave the refrigerator empty and the trash cans clean

Espígul is your trusted real estate agency in Girona. We want your well-being and we want you to look after and protect your homes. We hope that by following this advice you can enjoy your holidays without any worries.