Protect your home with this vacation checklist
As Thanksgiving approaches and you look ahead to the winter holidays and vacations, plan now to keep your home safe while you're away. Our home vacation checklist includes:
- Place mail and newspapers on hold. Contact the post office and your newspaper carrier to put your deliveries on vacation hold.
- Alert a trusted neighbor. Have a neighbor keep an eye out for UPS or Fedex deliveries, and have them call you if anything looks awry. Have this person water your plants if you will be away for more than a few days.
- Purchase and use timers for lights. Household lights on timers can help give the appearance that your home is occupied.
- Check doors and windows. Ensure that everything is closed and locked tight.
- Adjust the thermostat and turn down the water heater. Save energy by reducing the amount of time HVAC and your water heater run while you're away.
- Unplug appliances. Save energy and help prevent fire hazards by unplugging appliances, lamps and more.
- Throw away food that might spoil. Discard dairy items, fruit or other items that might spoil while you're away.
- Run the dishwasher and take out the trash. Keep your kitchen smelling fresh for your return.
- Extinguish the fireplace. Especially in winter, if you regularly burn a wood fire, be sure it is completely out before you leave on a trip and close the chimney flue.
- Final check. Just before you head out the door, do a final check to ensure the stove is off, curling irons are unplugged, etc.
We hope you enjoy a season of incredible time with family and friends. Stay safe and warm out there.
If you are planning a Steamboat Springs vacation, we'd love to meet you while you're here. We can show you available vacation home options in our beautiful Colorado mountain town that could allow you to make Steamboat your regular vacation spot. Contact us using the form below.