Lennar Resource Center

Planning to go out of town for spring break this year? If so, you’re part of a large number of Floridians that will travel out of town for three days or more for spring break, according to a recent study by AAA.

Before enjoying a relaxing vacation, consider these tips to take care of your home next time you’ll be out of town:

Hire a house sitter or have a friend make sure your home is maintained.

Hire an individual to watch your home while you’re away to make sure your home is kept in good shape. Make sure your house sitter is equipped with a checklist, including checking the mailbox, watering the plants and feeding pets. Don’t forget to inform your neighbors that someone different will be in your home while you’re away.

An alternative to hiring a house sitter is to leave a key with a friend or neighbor, and if you have an alarm company, notify them of who has a key.

If you don’t have anyone watching your home, be sure to request a mail hold through USPS.com. This can be done as far as 30 days before your trip and as late as 3 a.m. the morning before you leave. Also, don’t forget to pay any in-person services, like a landscaping company, in advance.

Set the thermostat and unplug appliances.

To conserve energy while you’re away, set your home’s thermostat to a moderate temperature so your system is not needlessly cooling or heating your home, and unplug small appliances to keep electricity usage low.

Clean out the fridge and take out the trash.

Plan to dispose of food that could go bad while you’re away or freeze food that you may eat after your trip. Remember to take out the trash right before you leave (especially if you threw away perishable food).

Use a light timer to save energy while making it appear as if someone is home.

Consider using a light timer so you don’t burn through your electric bill while you’re gone and to make it appear as if someone is home.

Don’t make your travel plans obvious.

For safety reasons, try not to post information about your trip online. If you do post about your trip, double check your privacy settings on platforms that don’t automatically set posts to private, like Instagram and Twitter. If privacy settings aren’t set, your posts will be public.

Now that you’ve taken care of your home, you can enjoy your trip with peace of mind. While you’re traveling, consider enjoying Tampa Bay’s record-breaking days of sunshine yearlong and be part of Lennar’s quick move-in homes in Tampa Bay.