Home Prep Before Vacation
What to do at home before a trip so you come back to a home, not a flood and fines: water, gas, sockets, trash, keys. Tell us if plants or pets are staying behind.
Download checklistOne tap creates a separate context in Unload with every task inside.
The list adapts to you
When you add it, the checklist asks a couple of questions and keeps only the items that fit your situation.
- What's staying home?
What's inside
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Shut off the water
Main valves plus the washer and dishwasher taps. A burst hose over two weeks renovates your place and the neighbors' below.
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Shut off the gas
The valve on the pipe by the stove. Ten seconds now, one less anxious thought on the beach.
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Unplug everything except the fridge
TV, router, kettle, chargers. Protects against power surges and quietly dripping kilowatts.
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Turn off the water heater
Heating water for an empty home is an expensive hobby. Switch it off and unplug it.
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Eat or give away perishables
Audit the fridge a couple of days out: dairy, veggies, open jars. Coming home to a biology experiment is overrated.
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Take out all the trash — bathroom bins included
The little bathroom bins are the ones everyone forgets. Give them two weeks and they'll remind you themselves.
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Don't leave wet laundry in the machine
Finish the load, hang it up, and leave the machine door ajar — or it will greet you with a smell.
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Wash the dishes
A sink of dishes turns into a fruit-fly resort in two weeks.
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Lock windows and the balcony
Every window, vent pane and the balcony door — against both rain and uninvited guests.
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Pay the bills in advance
Utilities, internet, phone. Autopay is a traveler's best friend.
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Leave keys with someone you trust
Family or a neighbor with keys can check the place, water plants and let a plumber in if something goes wrong.
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Have someone clear flyers from the door and mailbox
A door stuffed with flyers announces 'nobody's home' to the whole building. Ask a neighbor to clear it.
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Don't post your trip on social media until you're back
That airport photo captioned 'gone for two weeks' has readers beyond your friends. Post the album — afterwards.
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Set a smart light on a schedule
A lamp that switches on in the evenings says 'somebody's home'. A smart plug and a floor lamp do it for pennies.
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Water plants well and move them off the sun Plants
Water the day before you leave and move pots away from direct sun — the moisture lasts noticeably longer.
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Arrange watering: self-watering gear or a person Plants
For trips over a week: watering globes, wick watering, or a deal with whoever holds your keys.
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Book boarding or a pet sitter early Pets
In holiday season good boarders and sitters fill up weeks ahead. Introduce your pet to the sitter before you go.
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Leave food and litter with a buffer Pets
More food than the trip needs — flights get delayed. Plus bowls, litter and the favorite treats.
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Leave the sitter vet records and clinic contacts Pets
Vaccination records, your clinic's number and a 24/7 one, quirks in writing. In an emergency this saves hours.
- 1Open the checklist in the app
- 2Choose options for your situation
- 3Tap Add — done