Vacation Check list

Introduction Before you blow town, you should batten down the hatches and make other arrangements so the ol' homestead will be in good order when you return. Here are some things to consider. Mail & Paper You may already have thought to have the mail and newspapers either stopped or picked up by a neighbor. Having the neighbor do it is best, since you want to limit the number of people knowing of your absence. Garbage Now that we have gotten your neighbor into the act, maybe you can borrow some of her trash as well. On trash day, while she is hauling his trash out to the street, ask her to put some of it out in front of your house to keep the house looking like someone is at home making garbage. Watering If you have an automatic sprinkler system, you have the watering taken care of. If not, did you know there are timers you just hook to a garden hose. With a few timers, hoses and sprinklers, you can automate the watering in your absence. I recommend you buy these a couple of weeks before you leave. This will give you time to try and test your toy making certain it will do what you want. Hardware stores sell these timers. Pets & Fleas If you are a dog or a cat owner, and the pets are either going to jail (a kennel) or with you on the vacation, treat the house and yard for fleas just before you leave. In the absence of the pet, the fleas will develop a ferocious appetite. When you return, you will be the star of a B movie "The Killer Fleas". They will swarm you upon your return. When I was younger, and more ambitious, I offered my neighbors a service where, in addition to keeping the yard cut, I would pick up the mail and papers, feed the pets and water the yard and plants while they were out of town. Maybe one of your younger neighbors is in the same business today. Seasonal Precautions Now that we have the yard well taken care of, let's turn our attention to the house itself. If this is a summer vacation, turn off the water heater, whether gas or electric. If it is a winter vacation, leave the pilot light on your gas water heater or turn your electric water heater to the coolest setting. If applicable, in the summer, leave the air conditioning on at a setting of about 82 degrees Fahrenheit to control the humidity. In the winter, if applicable, leave the heat on about 50 degrees Fahrenheit to keep things from freezing. Refrigerator/Freezer/Icemaker This is a good time to clean the refrigerator and freezer getting rid of all those "it beats me what the heck it is" items that have taken on a life of their own. If you have an ice maker, be sure to turn it off by either turning the switch to off (I bet you figured that out by yourself) or in the absence of the switch, just lift the bail, that wire arm to the up position. It should stay there. Ice makers have been known to go crazy in the owner's absence and make so much ice that the freezer door is pushed open, resulting in a huge mess. Electronics To protect against lightening damage, unplug all of your TV sets, computers (both power and phone lines), microwave oven, and other electronic equipment. Lights There are some really sophisticated-automatic light-timers on the market which can give your home a lived-in look. I recommend using some of them to closely duplicate your light use pattern. All of our outside lights are on photoelectric cells which turn on outside lights at sunset year around. Have a good trip.