As desert heats start to rise and many residents plan to head out of town, a towering to-do list can put a real damper on your vacay plans. Staying organized is key to leaving your home safe and well-taken-care-of during a short-term move, especially when you don’t want to be worrying about what you left unattended back home. The following article outlines what you need to do at home before hitting the summer.
Two weeks before your temporary move
Fortunately, there isn’t a ton of stuff to do months before leaving, other than planning your getaway, but even last minute flights and deals can have you packing just a few weeks out. First, if you plan to have your house looked after during your absence, get in touch with whoever will be keeping an eye on it to confirm they’ll be available and the details of what you’d like them to tend to while gone. Plan to follow up a few days before leaving with notes, keys, and any necessary instructions for keeping your home in order.
We also suggest getting in contact with your telephone, internet, and TV providers to put your service on hold and deciding whether or not you’d like to have your mail forwarded while you’re away. For more extended time frames, it’s easier and safer to have mail forwarded, rather than asking a friendly neighbor, friend, or family member to check your mail every few days. Additionally, any newspapers that get delivered can be put on hold, so you don’t send a message to everyone passing by in the neighborhood that you’ve been gone for days or longer.
One week before your temporary move
Around the one week mark, check in with your HOA and let them know you’ll be gone and the duration of your leave. You can store valuables that aren’t accompanying you on your travels in a safe or a place where under lock and key for safety reasons. Also, an excellent time to connect with your bank if you’re heading out of state. You don’t want to be purchasing water shoes a few states over and suddenly get a stopped charge because your bank suspects it’s fraudulent. Give them a ring, let them know where you’ll be, and if you plan to make any unusual purchases.
If you have a yard or pool, call your landscaping and pool companies to get a plan for while you’re away. Many companies provide weekly and monthly service plans and can keep your yard clean and pool fresh while you’re away. We suggest keeping your current maintenance plan going if you can afford it. Burglars take notice of overgrown yards and icky pools. That sends a message you’ve been gone for a while, and the house is open ground for theft.
In the home, your fridge may not look like it has a ton in it, or maybe it does, either way, you don’t want to have anything hanging out in there collecting mold. Plan to eat leftovers the week leading up to your move and decide on what (if anything) is coming with you that is perishable. If you can coordinate getting everything out of the fridge at the same time as trash and recycling pickup, you can save yourself some trips and hopefully eliminate forgetting a stinky trash bag for weeks in the house.
Check out part two next month for the remaining tasks for summer home planning when heading out for a few months.
Aardvark Movers Inc., a Phoenix Arizona moving company, has the most experienced movers for all your residential, office, or apartment relocation needs. We serve Phoenix, Scottsdale, Chandler, Tempe, Mesa, Gilbert, Glendale, Cave Creek, Carefree, Surprise, Sun City, Paradise Valley, Apache Junction, Maricopa County and all of Arizona. 602-716-5555.
