Tips on how to prepare your home before going on vacation
Summer is here and with schools closing for the summer break, many residents in Dubai are flying back to their home countries to visit their families and friends and escape the summer heat. If you are travelling this summer, there are a few things you need to do before going on vacation and that is to prepare your home as it will be left unattended for many days. If you’re not sure what needs to be done, we’ve got you covered. Here is a pre-vacation checklist of all the things to do before going on vacation to prepare your home.
7 ways to prepare your home before going on holiday
In the rush of booking tickets and packing luggage, many residents forget that their home will be left unattended for a long period of time. Leaving a home unattended can bring about unforeseen problems, such as leakage that can result in damages that could cost you thousands of dirhams. So to avoid all this, let’s take a look at the essential things to do before going on vacation.
pay all your utility bills
The first to do before going on a holiday is to ensure to pay any upcoming or pending utility bills. No one wants to spend their vacation worrying about paying bills, so try to pay the bills of your utility services like DEWA, Etisalat or Du connection, if their due date falls during the time you will be away from home. This is one of the most essential things to do before going on vacation as you may be charged for delayed payments.
PEST CONTROL
If you are travelling for a period longer than one to two weeks, consider having pest control done in your home. Adding this item to your checklist for holidays is a perfect way to prepare your house before a long vacation, as your house will remain free from insects like bedbugs or termites invading your furniture and more importantly, the structure of your property. Since you won’t be around, you won’t be affected by fumes of the pesticides. However, make sure to hire licensed pest-control companies in Dubai and inform your neighbours and building’s authorities before having pest control done in your house. Here are some more tips on how to keep pests out of your home.
put your subscriptions on hold
If you have subscribed to any newspaper, magazine or product subscription plans, make sure to cancel them or put them on hold while you are travelling. This also goes for subscriptions like water, grocery and laundry services. Cancelling these or informing the providers about your time away is one of the essential things to do before going on vacation, as failure to do so will result in you returning to your front door to items you don’t need. Items piled up outside your front door is a surefire indication to burglars and other unsavoury types that the property is unattended. While we are fortunate that incidences of such crimes are low in the UAE, it is best to be on the safe side and make an effort to make sure your property is not singled out by those with nefarious motives.
Clean the house
The next item on our house checklist before vacation is cleaning the house. It’s a necessary step that has to be done to prepare your home before going on holiday. When you go away for an extended vacation, your home will remain closed for a long period of time, so remember to clear out any open food or garbage around the home to avoid returning home to any nasty growths of mould. This is another way to make sure you don’t return to unwanted house guests in the form of pests. Also, make sure to wash and store any dirty or damp laundry that you may have, as these can get musty and create unwanted smells when you leave your home for a holiday. This also applies to your kitchenware, washing your dirty dishes is among the important things to do before going on vacation.
TURN OFF the water supply and unplug electrical appliances
This is another one of the most essential things to do before going on vacation as failure to do so can result in leaks or floods or fires causing damage amounting to tens of thousands of dirhams. A sure shot way to avoid facing any unforeseen damage like fire or leakages is to unplug electrical appliances like irons, straighteners and other heating devices and make sure all the taps are closed tightly.
shut your drapes and close the windows
Another important way to prepare your house before a long vacation is to ensure you shut your drapes and close the windows. This is an essential thing to do before going on vacation as the summer heat in Dubai reaches high enough temperatures to cause damages. Closing the curtains will help keep out the sunlight and keep the temperature of your room relatively cool. A tip – if your windows allow for a lot of sunlight to pass through, consider switching your regular curtains for blackout curtains to completely block out the sunlight. Closing the windows is important, not just from a security point of view, but as Dubai’s weather is very unpredictable and you could return home to sand and dust all over the house. Here are some additional tips on how to prepare your home for the Dubai summer.
cover the furniture
An extra item to add to your holiday checklist is to cover all your furniture with old bedsheets and cloths to keep it free from any dust or leaks that may happen. Also, make sure to take off all the bedsheets and pillow covers from your bed and place them in the cupboards and consider covering your mattresses with plastic covers.
Other important measures
Another extra step you can take to ensure you return back to your home intact is to consider giving the keys to a friend or neighbour to check on your house while you’re away. This is helpful if you have plants that need watering. The same goes for your pets. Never leave your pets alone at home, make sure to drop them off at a registered shelter or at a friends place if you are travelling.
If you’re not flying out this summer and are looking for ways to beat the heat, try taking part in these indoor sports activities in Dubai. Parents looking for a way to keep the kids occupied would do well to check out our roundup of the best summer camps in Dubai. Are you flying out of Dubai this summer? Let us know in the comment section below or browse through our My Home section for more home improvement tips like these.
