The panic doesn't hit until you're settled into your Airbnb in the mountains: "Did we close the garage?" Nobody remembers. Your stomach drops, and the first two days of vacation are spent refreshing a doorbell camera instead of relaxing.
A simple checklist of items to tackle before vacation fixes that. Fifteen minutes the night before you leave, and you get to actually be gone — not half-home, half-worried.
Here's what I run through before any trip, roughly in order of what can go wrong.Water first. Water causes more vacation-season home damage than anything else — burst supply lines, failed washing machine hoses, a toilet that runs for ten days straight. If you'll be gone more than a few days, consider shutting off the main water valve. At minimum, turn off the valves behind the washing machine, and check under every sink for drips. Set your water heater to vacation mode while you're at it — no reason to heat water for an empty house.
Next up is the thermostat. Don't shut the AC off completely in a Denver summer — big heat swings are hard on wood floors, paint, and anything electronic. Set it around 82-85 degrees instead. In winter, never go below 55; that's your freeze protection for pipes.
Now tackle the smaller stuff. Unplug the toaster, coffee maker, TVs, and chargers — small savings and a reduced fire risk. Put a couple of lamps on timers, so the house looks lived-in after dark. Empty the fridge of anything that won't survive the trip, and take out all the trash. Lock the windows and doors, including the one from the garage into the house. Close the garage door and consider engaging the manual lock - it adds protection and will help you remember that you shut it!
Lastly, pause your mail and package delivery thru USPS, so mail and packages don't pile up on your porch. Better yet, ask a neighbor to grab anything that shows up and park in your driveway once or twice. And lastly, for security purposes, wait to post the vacation photos until you're home. The mountains will still be beautiful in your feed next week.
One bonus step if you want full peace of mind: snap a quick photo of the thermostat, the water valve, and the locked front door on your way out. If the "did we...?" question comes up while you're away, you have the answer in your pocket.
None of this is complicated, but it does require that you set aside the time (and mental capacity). It's too easy to forget these things when you're wrangling suitcases and rushing out the door.
I share quick homeowner tips like this all summer on Instagram — come follow along at @madisonspanglerhomes
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