What to Do Before You Go Out of Town

Before going out of town you want to make sure that your home is well taken care of to prevent any needless worrying on your part. If you are leaving for an extended amount of time, it can be stressful knowing that no one is at your home to look after things. You may worry, but if you create a list for yourself to make sure that you have everything covered, you will be able to relax and enjoy your time away. 

Notify Your Bank

Before you leave to go out of town, you want to notify your bank and any credit cards that you plan on using. This is so that they are aware that transactions will be taking place outside of where you live. It's important that they know to expect this activity so they can treat it as normal transactions, and not an alert for potentially suspicious activity. Giving advanced warning will prevent any hassle with having your cards canceled or transactions declined.

Pay Bills

You should make an effort to pay all of your bills before you leave on your trip, or set up a direct debit from your bank account so the bills are taken out automatically. This is an important step to ensure that you don't have any late or missed payments that could hurt your credit score. When you are away from home, you will likely be busy and too preoccupied to remember to pay your bills, so take care of them beforehand so they are not an issue.

Arrange Mail Collection

If you are leaving town for an extended amount of time, you should consider putting a hold on your mail and newspapers. You can temporarily suspend any subscriptions that you have to the papers, and have the post office keep your mail until you return and can pick it up.

For a shorter trip, you could ask a friend or neighbor to collect your mail for you. Be sure to arrange this in advance. If you want your mail and packages to be taken inside your home, remember to leave a key behind. 

Clean

You will have a better trip if you leave behind a clean home. Make sure that nothing is wrong before you leave. Clean your home and take out any trash. Throw away or give away any food that may spoil before you come home. Clean all of your dishes and check to make sure there is no laundry laying around.

Having a clean home when you leave will make you feel better and be able to relax. Also, no one wants to come home from vacation or a business trip to a mess that needs to be taken care of. Spend a few minutes beforehand so that you can come home to a clean home that doesn't stress you out.

Lawn Care

If you are going to be gone from home over the summer, you should also make arrangements for the care of any plants, both indoors and outdoors on your porch, that or need to be watered. You should also make arrangements to have your lawn care taken care of. If someone will be mowing your lawn or doing other yard work, you should pay them in advance since you won't be home at the time.

Unplug Your Electronics

Unplug your computer, television, and any other electronics and appliances while you are away. This will protect them from any possible damage and save you money from any of them using energy.

Set Lights On a Timer

A good safety measure to take is to set up some lights on a timer to make it appear that you are home. This will give the illusion that the house is occupied, so it's less tempting for anyone that may attempt to break in thinking that the owners are away.

By taking care of these things in advance you are sure to have a much more enjoyable trip. You will save yourself the stress and anxiety from worrying about things at home and be able to relax and have fun.