Leaving for Vacation? Don't Forget These Five Home Checks

After all the planning, packing, and counting down the days, the last thing anyone wants to think about before vacation is home maintenance. But taking a few minutes to prepare your house before you leave can help prevent unpleasant surprises when you return.

Over the years, we've seen homeowners come back from otherwise wonderful vacations to flooded basements, water damage, fallen tree limbs, and overflowing mailboxes advertising to everyone that no one was home. Fortunately, most of these problems can be avoided with a simple pre-vacation checklist.

Before you lock the door and head off to the beach, the mountains, or wherever your summer adventures take you, here are five things worth checking.

1. Turn Off Your Washing Machine Water Supply

This is one of the simplest steps you can take to prevent a potentially expensive disaster. Washing machine supply hoses are under constant pressure. Even newer hoses can fail unexpectedly, and when they do, they can release a surprising amount of water in a very short period of time.

Before leaving for an extended trip, shut off the hot and cold water valves behind the washing machine. It takes less than a minute and could save you from returning to damaged floors, drywall, and belongings. If your supply hoses are more than a few years old, consider upgrading to braided stainless steel versions for additional peace of mind.

2. Pause Deliveries and Ask a Neighbor to Keep an Eye Out

Nothing announces an empty house quite like a pile of newspapers, packages, and mail stacked on the front porch. If you'll be gone for several days, consider placing a temporary hold on your mail and pausing any regular deliveries. If that's not possible, ask a trusted neighbor, friend, or family member to collect packages and keep an eye on things while you're away. It's also helpful to leave emergency contact information with someone nearby in case an issue arises while you're gone.

3. Test Your Sump Pump

Summer thunderstorms can arrive quickly and dump a surprising amount of rain in a short period of time. If your home has a sump pump, take a few minutes to make sure it's working properly before you leave. One simple test is to slowly pour a bucket of water into the sump pit. The float should rise, the pump should activate, and the water should be discharged outside. If the pump doesn't respond, makes unusual noises, or struggles to remove water, it's worth addressing before your trip.

4. Put Your Lights on a Schedule

A dark house every night for a week can be an obvious sign that no one is home. Using timers or smart plugs to turn lights on and off during the evening can help create the appearance that the house is occupied. Focus on a few commonly used spaces such as a living room, kitchen, or front-facing room. If you have smart home technology, you can even vary the schedule remotely to make it look more natural.

5. Take a Walk Around the Yard

Before leaving, spend ten minutes walking the perimeter of your property. Look for dead tree limbs hanging over the house, driveway, vehicles, or power lines. Summer storms often bring strong winds, and weak branches can come down unexpectedly. While you're outside, secure patio umbrellas, outdoor furniture, and anything else that could become airborne during a storm. A quick inspection today may prevent damage while you're hundreds of miles away.

One More Thing: Don't Rush Out the Door

The hours before a vacation can feel hectic. There are bags to load, kids to wrangle, directions to double-check, and inevitably someone can't find their sunglasses. But before you pull out of the driveway, give yourself an extra fifteen minutes for a final walkthrough. Check windows, lock doors, verify appliances are off, and make sure these five items are covered.

A little preparation can provide a lot of peace of mind, allowing you to focus on what vacations are supposed to be about: relaxing, making memories, and enjoying time away.

Bob O'Donnell is the owner of O'Donnell Bros. Inc., a Bristol-based home improvement company established in 1975. Email your questions for Bob to info@odonnellbros.com with the subject line “Ask the Pro.” All questions may be considered for publication. To contact Bob for your remodeling needs, call O'Donnell Bros. Inc. at (860) 589-5155 or visit www.odonnellbros.com. Advice is for guidance only.

Around the House Jobs To Tackle Before the Cold Comes

Now is a great time to get working on any home improvement jobs before the cooler weather sets in. Whether it’s taking preventative measures to make sure the ice and snow don’t do a number on your home or just routine repairs that you’ve been putting off, these next few weeks will be the perfect time to spruce up your house. 

Probably the most important home maintenance job for this time of year is to take a look at your gutters. Before we know it, tree debris will be falling and the leaves will be clogging up gutters and downspouts. If you’ve ever thought about installing gutter guards on your home, now is the time to do it. They will protect your gutters from the leaves and help you to avoid that cumbersome autumn clean-out.

One of my favorite ways to update a home is to install a new entry door. A lot of houses in our area still have wood doors, which are prime for serious heat leakage. Installing a new door made from fiberglass will help to retain warmth and give you a great, contemporary style. They even come in wood grain or solid color finishes to keep with the look and feel of your current exterior.

Now is also one of the best times to look at vinyl siding, which can dramatically improve the appearance of your home while reducing overall maintenance and upkeep. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, one-third of new homes in the U.S. are built with vinyl siding, and that number continues to rise every year. Why? Vinyl siding is durable, long-lasting, and comes in a variety of finishes to suit a homeowner's personal style. My favorite part is that it never has to be painted or stained, and you don’t have to worry about rotting or insect problems which can come with traditional wood cladding.

Finally, with winter on the way, it's time to take a look at your windows. When I visit a house, I will often use a thermal camera to see how much heat is being lost, and old wood sash or aluminum windows are both major heat drains. New vinyl windows are great in terms of energy efficiency and heat loss reduction, and at our house, we love the tilt-in sashes for easy cleaning. 

Being a homeowner requires a lot of maintenance, but the investment is worth it to keep you and your family comfortable all year round. Plus, with today’s hot real estate market, any of these updates will help you to get a better price if a sale is in your future plans. 

What is your favorite tip for giving your house a facelift? I'd love to hear from you so send me a message on Facebook at www.facebook.com/odonnellbros. Happy Labor Day everyone!

Bob O’Donnell is the owner of O’Donnell Bros. Inc., a Bristol-based home improvement company established in 1975. Email your questions to info@odonnellbros.com with the subject line “Ask the Pro.” All questions may be considered for publication. To contact Bob for your remodeling needs, call O’Donnell Bros. Inc. at (860) 589-5155 or visit http://www.odonnellbros.com. Advice is for guidance only.