A travel itinerary is not complete without deciding the state of your home while you are away. If you are going for an extended trip, there are some things you need to do for your home to keep it ready for your return. So here are three ways to prepare your house for your departure:
1. Settle Prepaid Bills And Outstanding Tasks
The last thing you want is to come back home after a one-week trip on a weekend only to find your prepaid meter has run out of electricity or the network has cut off your cable subscription. If it is within your ability, make sure you get a recharge card for your prepaid meter, pay your cable bills if it is short trip, sort out waste management and any other important recurrent bill. Take out the trash, empty your refrigerator/house of perishable foodstuff and take out the laundry. That way, your house does not develop a foul odour from spoiled food/sour clothes and rodents don’t come in and make it their home in your absence. Speaking of rodents the best time to fumigate your house is when you’re travelling; to get rid of them before you return. If you receive home delivery of any sort (e.g. newspaper, Jumia scheduled delivery, etc.), notify the company to hold on till you return. If you have pets or compound duties/responsibilities, make arrangements for how they should be handled. This way you don’t come home to a filthy environment that may stress you to clean when you come back home.
2. Shut Off Electrical Appliances And Be Security Conscious
Put your change-over switch on neutral, turn off your Water Heater or Air Conditioners, if you have one. Turn off the taps, lock the pipe leading water into your washing machine even if you unplug it. Switch off all electrical appliances and unplug them from the wall socket to prevent damage due to power surges. This way you reduce the chances of your appliances getting bad or an electrical fire starting in your absence. There is nothing more devastating than to come back from a trip and discover you are homeless because of an electrical fire. If you have a means of automating your exterior security lights to come on in the evenings, do so. It will deter robbers from coming when you are away because it gives the illusion that you haven’t left your home. Don’t give real-time status updates on social media when you travel so thieves don’t use the information to break into your home. If your home is insured, you are good to go; otherwise, take necessary precaution to safeguard your home.
3. Select Someone To Entrust Certain Details With
After you have locked all your doors and windows, stored your precious valuables in a safe place, leave a copy of your key with a trusted friend or relative. That way if something goes wrong, they can help you retrieve needed documents from your place or check to make sure all is well with your home. Tell your family members your travel itinerary.
Travelling is education for the mind because it forces you to consider a lot of things you’d take for granted. So whether you are travelling to Kaduna for a week or Ebonyi for a month, do all within your power to make your home as comfortable and safe as possible for when you return from your trip.
Do you have any home care tips we missed? We’d love to hear of them.
Featured image source: Kaodim
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