7 things to do before you leave on vacation

January 18th, 2008 by Susan - NWA WorldVacations

When you’re on vacation, you don’t want to worry about “did I do this, did I turn that off?” Here’s a checklist to help you out.

1. Make your house look lived in.
   • Stop the mail and newspapers, or have a friend or neighbor pick them up.
   • Set lights on a timer.
   • Turn on a clock radio.
   • Make arrangements for someone to mow the grass in summer, or make tire tracks in the driveway and shovel the walks in winter.
2. Notify a friend or neighbor that you’ll be away, and leave a vacation itinerary with them.  They can also check your house periodically to ensure everything is ok.
3. Notify the security system company to immediately consider any alarms as real.  Leave them the names of anyone responsible to watch over your house.
4. If you’ll be traveling out of the country, make two copies of your passport and bring along a spare.  Also, give a copy to a friend or neighbor at home in case your copy is lost or stolen.
5. Empty out the refrigerator of food that may spoil and take out the garbage.
6. Pay any bills that will come due while you’re on vacation.
7. Unplug appliances (like the toaster) and other electronics such as your computer to protect them from an electrical storm while you’re away.  Check surge protectors to insure they are working properly.  It’s also a good idea to turn off the water to prevent any water damage that could occur.

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