Before taking off on your vacation this summer, take steps to protect your home against any issues when you return! Here are some tips on how to do that:

1. Ask a friend or neighbor to house-sit: Having someone there to water your plants, feed your pets, check the mail, and make sure everything looks okay is very important. Having someone look around for issues is the best way to avoid any from happening.

2. Take out the trash: To avoid coming home to a stinky kitchen or refrigerator, take out the trash the night before your trip. If your trash pickup is soon, you can go ahead and take it to the road, and have your house-sitter bring it back after pickup.

3. Run the dishwasher or wash dishes: No one wants to come home from vacation to chores. Take the time to run the dishwasher or do your dishes by hand to ensure your kitchen is clean and smells nice for when you return home!

4. Turn off the water supply: If no one is staying in the home and you do not have pets, you can cut off the main water supply to prevent leaks and flooding. You can also set the water heater to low for energy savings while you are away.

5. Unplug electronics and small appliances: This tip can save money by eliminating standby energy use, and prevents power surges that could damage your electronics or cause an electrical fire to start.

6. Adjust your thermostat: Choose an energy-saving setting, such as 80 degrees, to prevent your AC from running the whole time you are gone. It is important not to turn off the AC completely through, to avoid skyrocketing indoor temperatures. If you have a Wi-Fi thermostat, you can set an alarm to receive alerts about higher-than-normal or lower-than-normal temperatures. For your peace of mind, you may want to ask a neighbor to go check it out every few days.

7. Lock windows and doors: Double-check that all of your doors and windows are secure. This not only keeps intruders from entering, but it prevents rain and wind from entering as well.

8. Set your lights on timers: Setting light timers can help keep intruders away. An intruder is unlikely to break into a well-lit home.

9. Put a hold on your mail: If you’ll be gone for at least a few days, it’s wise to pause your mail, and avoid placing online orders leading up to your trip. You do not want your items to fall prey to porch pirates!