Texas Homeowners Reminded to Do This Before Leaving for Vacation

With the kids out of school, many families will soon be leaving for vacation, and there are a few things you need to do around your house before departing.

The anticipation of leaving for vacation can be exciting and hectic at times, but it's essential to do a few things before you go, whether for a week or a weekend.

As you may expect, it's always wise to raise the temperature on the thermostat before you walk out the door for vacation. There's no need for your AC to run continuously when no one is home, especially if you're leaving for an extended period, such as a week. Conserve energy and save on your electric bill.

In addition to adjusting your thermostat, ensure that all charging devices are unplugged and that nothing in your house is charging while you're away. Let me include bikes and scooters here, too. If you have them, make sure that they are disconnected before leaving.

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Something else we do at home before we leave is make arrangements for someone to collect our mail and packages for us while we're away. Not only does it protect the packages from the elements, but it will also deter anyone from approaching your house when you're away.

Recently, we were discussing leaving home for vacation, and a listener called the show to advise us on something else we should do before grabbing our suitcases. The listener told us that her father would always turn off the main water valve at their house before leaving for an extended period.

She said that his explanation for doing that was that it protected their home from flooding if a pipe broke while they were away on vacation.. I've heard of doing this when a hard freeze is approaching, but I never considered disconnecting the water flow to my home while we're away — this is a brilliant idea.

Where Is the Water Valve to My House?

Additionally, you may want to drain the water from your pipes after turning off the water valve. You can often find your home's water valve located at the front of the house, near the road.

Just remember to slow down before you leave for vacation and take all of the precautionary steps to protect your property while you're away. By doing so, you will not have to worry about your home while you're attempting to relax and enjoy the vacation you deserve.