Things to do in your home before departing on the Holiday Break

If you are lucky enough to be going away during the Christmas break this year no doubt you will be very careful to remember to pack the essentials like your passport, money, travel insurance, camera, etc… but it is just as important to remember to look after your house properly so that you don’t come home to a domestic disaster such as your house burned down or flooded out.

Many of these holiday nightmares may not be covered by your insurance provider so make sure that you take all the precautions necessary to ensure that you reduce the risk of returning home to such a crisis.

Below we have prepared a list of some best practices that you should follow before leaving for that well deserved break so that your holiday will be a memorable one for the right reasons.

1. Make sure to remove any food and crumbs that may spoil in your absence and attract a pest infestation. Make sure your bins have been left out for collection or emptied aswell.
2. Switch off and unplug all of your electrical and gas devices that do not need to be running while you are away. This is not only a safety measure but will also mean that your appliances will be protected in the event of a power surge or lightning strike
3. Ensure that all of the taps have been turned off properly and better yet locate the mains water feed to your home and turn it off. A leak from a water tank or pipe may short out electrical wiring and start a fire. You can actually buy water detection devices now if you want to go a step further. They are designed to detect water leaks or high water levels and react accordingly
4. Make sure that your water and heating systems have been drained properly
5. If you have gas, turn it off at the mains
6. Make sure that all of your smoke alarms are working, these should be tested regularly regardless of whether you are going on holiday or not
7. In the winter months, check that your attic pipes are well insulated and leave the attic door open
8. Check for and replace any loose roof tiles if you will be away in times of strong wind as they can cause damage to your house or even injure passers by
9. Close all internal doors, if a fire does break out it will help to slow down the spread
10. Make sure that you lock all entry doors and windows to your house and likewise for your garage
11. Turn on the security alarm if you have one installed
12. If you are taking your keys with you it is a good idea to make sure to leave a spare set with a family member or trusted neighbour in case your alarm goes off or in case you lose your keys while you are away

I hope you found this article helpful. If you have any comments or suggestions on this subject please feel free to enter them in the comments box below, we’d be delighted to hear them.

All the best,
Oliver Dempsey
Tradesmen.ie

Some other articles that you might be interested in are listed below:    

http://blog.tradesmen.ie/2013/12/condensation-and-humidity-control-in-your-home/

http://blog.tradesmen.ie/2013/11/driveway-and-patio-finish-comparison/

http://blog.tradesmen.ie/2013/10/preparing-your-home-for-floods/

http://blog.tradesmen.ie/2013/09/building-materials-who-should-buy-them-customer-or-tradesman/

http://blog.tradesmen.ie/2013/09/house-alarm-prices-survey/

http://blog.tradesmen.ie/2013/06/custom-kitchen-cabinets-and-units/

http://blog.tradesmen.ie/2013/04/the-ultimate-guide-to-choosing-wood-flooring/

http://blog.tradesmen.ie/2013/03/garage-conversions-things-to-remember-when-planning-to-convert-your-garage/