Home Inspectors as a Resource: Help Clients Prepare for a Vacation

Home inspectors can have a strong influence on their clients by freely giving reliable, helpful information periodically throughout the year.

One way you can become a trusted resource is by creating a handout to prepare their home before they take a trip or vacation. Be sure to brand the materials with your professional qualifications and memberships.

Keeping in touch throughout the year with your past and current clients will help you build trust and increase the value of your relationship. You can be a memorable, credible resource.

Creating a checklist can help your clients prepare their home for any vacation or extended time they will be away.

Client Resource

An Away-from-Home Checklist

Just as you make preparations for vacation long before you leave, you should also make sure that your home is safe and secure when you’re gone.

Find a House Watcher

Recruit someone to keep an eye on your home while you are away. Ask a neighbor, friend or relative to check your home periodically or to stay there while you are gone. Be sure your home is being cared for. Ask your house watcher to remove any advertisements or newspapers that are left near your door, mailbox or front yard while you are away.

Give your house watcher your phone number and tell them who else might be visiting your house while you are gone (for example, landscaper, gardener, pet sitter).

If you live in a complex, alert the manager of your vacation dates so they can be another monitor for your home.

Be sure to list any assistance you need with special scheduled services, like putting out and taking in waste and recycling cans on service days.

Arrange for Pet Care

Your pets need food, water and attention while you are gone. If you need to hire a pet sitter to take care of your pet in your home while you are away, you might want to interview them at your home to see how they interact with your pets. Show them where to find all the supplies and create a list of your pet’s daily schedule. Include your phone number and where you will be staying.

Many in-home pet care services will also water indoor plants and collect mail.

Some pet owners may choose a boarding service. Be sure to visit the place where your pet will stay and notice how the staff interacts with the animals in their care.

Pay Bills

Online billing makes paying bills easy, but when you are on vacation, you might be distracted and forget to schedule a payment on time. Make sure all your utility bills are scheduled or up to date before you leave.

Check Your Home Alarm System

Make sure alarm batteries are new or recharged. Depending on your alarm system, you might need to notify the company of the days you will be absent.

Decide What to Do About Your Mail

Arrange with someone to take care of your mail. Another option is to put a hold on your USPS mail delivery while you are away from home. You can use a simple online process to schedule a hold.

Time Your Lights

Having lights on inside your house can help prevent crime. You can use plug-in timers or remote-access timers that give you the opportunity to control your house’s lighting from your mobile phone. Again, remember you will be on vacation and perhaps in a different time zone, so it might be best to set timers before you leave instead of monitoring them daily from afar.

Freeze Your Welcome – Home Meal

Here’s an idea to “welcome yourself home”—prepare a meal and freeze it so all you need to do is heat it up when you return. You could even prepare and freeze more than one meal to give yourself time before you go grocery shopping.

Make sure you have your favorite staples on hand and available for your return.

Manage Spare Keys

You may want to give a house key to your pet sitter and any other watchful neighbors. If you keep a spare key outside, make sure to hide it well. A good option is to use a fake rock, but make sure that you hide the rock, too.

Yard Care

Plants need water to thrive. Unless you have landscaping that doesn’t need watering, you should plan for someone to water your outdoor plants so they stay healthy while you are away.

Check your outdoor sprinkler systems and make sure the timing device is working and, if you have a lawn, set the mower blades to low and mow the lawn before you leave.

Indoor Plants

Your indoor plants need water, too. Ask your home watcher or a neighbor to water your indoor plants while you are away. Pet sitters might be willing to water your plants if you ask them. To avoid confusion, prepare a schedule and a map of all the plants in your home.

Deep Clean

If you can, take time to give your home a deep clean before you go. Dust, scrub, vacuum and clean the cracks. You’ll love coming home to a clean home.

Clear Perishables

Clear the refrigerator of leftovers and perishable food before you go and include your fridge in the deep clean.

Seal Dry Goods

Clip your food bags shut or store dry foods in jars to keep air from making food stale.

Clean Dishes and Tableware

Run the dishwasher and hand wash any dishware, glassware and utensils before you leave. Then clean the kitchen sink.

Wash Bedding

Wash bedding and make the bed.

Laundry Area Check

Make sure all laundry is dry and wipe the washer dry, including the drum and gasket, to prevent mildew buildup.

Adjust Thermostat

If your home will be empty of pets and house watchers, adjust the thermostat to minimize energy consumption while you are gone.

Unplug Electronics

Unplug electronics and small appliances to reduce energy consumption and minimize the risk of electrical fires.

Clean Garbage Disposal

Get rid of food particles that could become stagnant while you are away. Run the disposal. Throw in some ice cubes and lemon juice to clean the blades. Finish the cleaning, with the disposal turned off, by using vinegar and baking soda to clean the sides and the strainer.

Adjust Water Heater Setting

If no one will be in your house while you are gone, adjust the water heater setting to low. (Turning off the heater and water supply can cause damage to the water heater, so set it to a low temperature instead of turning it off completely.)

Lock Windows, Pull Blinds

Lock all windows and pull down blinds or close curtains. Ask your pet sitter or house watcher to open curtains while they are there and close them before they leave. This will prevent your home from appearing to be empty.

Take Out Trash

Empty the trash receptacles in your house. Make sure you remove any kitchen garbage that might be kept under the sink. Let your house watcher know when to take out receptacles and where to return them.

Lock Up

Lock up and enjoy your getaway, knowing your home is secure and clean, and ready to welcome you back on your return.

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author only and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of ASHI. The information contained in the article is general and readers should always independently verify for accuracy, completeness and reliability.