Did I remember to...

So, when travelling season has finally returned! You have, hopefully, contacted your super- amazing Travel Professional to help you plan the perfect experience!

And shopped for and packed all your new cute travel clothes....you’re ready, right?

Maybe not! Have you made sure to leave your home in good shape so it stays clean, protected and even energy-efficient while you are gone?

What is that funky smell?

That is not what you want to say when you return from an amazing vacation!

Here’s a few tips to help make your return home a bit easier.

CLEAN:

- Change the sheets – When you arrive home from your vacation, nothing beats

collapsing into crisp, clean sheets...in your own bed. It’s worth the few extra

minutes it takes before you leave.

- Take out the trash – Nothing could be worse than arriving home to realize you

forgot to take out the garbage! Not exactly the atmosphere you want to

experience!

- Empty out the Fridge – Throw out any leftovers and maybe offer any

perishables that won’t last to your friendly neighbors. No sense wasting good

food, plus you don’t want to have to worry about it when you return.

PROTECT:

- Lock all of your windows – It’s easy to remember to lock the doors, but be sure

all windows are shut tightly and locked. You don’t want to come home to

puddles of rainwater, or an unexpected intruder!

- Be sure someone has a key – find a trusted family member or neighbor and

ensure that they have a way in to your home or apartment in case of an

emergency. You never know when it could come in handy. Say you’re traveling in Hong Kong and your home gets flooded from rising lake waters...your

landlords may be able to go in and put things up on counters and possibly even

move your car out of the garage to higher ground! That could save tons of

hassles and money!

- Email yourself copies of your credit cards, ID and travel documents to a web-

based email account. Just in case something happens while you are traveling

(can you say “pickpockets”?) you can easily access all your important

confirmations and details wherever you can get online. Remember to

photocopy both sides of your credit cards and insurance cards! We also recommend you make sure someone has copies of your information-incase you need them to send you these copies!

CONSERVE:

- Adjust the thermostat – Be sure to set the air conditioning or heat to an

appropriate level to save on energy costs while you are away. Also, you might

consider turning down the hot water heater temp as well. You will be very glad

you did when you receive next month’s utility bills!

- Invest in a timer – An inexpensive timer unit from any hardware store allows

you to program your lights for security purposes (and energy conservation).

Those nasty home stalkers will think someone is home and pass you by! Of course smart homes can be controlled right from your phone!

- Unplug! – Unplug any appliances that you can while you are gone (think

toaster, coffee maker and office printer). They can be a fire hazard, as well as

sucking precious electricity even while you are thousands of miles away on the

beach.

By following these suggestions, you can make sure that your next amazing vacation

isn't ruined by a nasty surprise lurking inside your front door....It's depressing

enough having to return to reality without finding a stinky trash can! Trust us...we

know!

Just a few helpful tips, to review when we’re back to traveling. We know most of these are common, even simple, but a refresher before you walk out the door couldn’t hurt, right? Now, if you haven’t planned your next adventure, reach out and let’s chat. It’s time to get something on your calendar and you daydreaming about your great escape!