Things to do before leaving the house for holiday travel go beyond locking the doors. A live tree may need daily watering, holiday leftovers need a plan, packages are on the way and freezing weather calls for pipe precautions. Here are 10 checks, with advice from USPS, the Electrical Safety Foundation, the American Red Cross, NC State Extension, Nebraska Extension and police departments in Ohio, Virginia and Indiana.
The short answer: pause your mail, turn off and unplug what you do not need (tree lights, stove, small appliances), keep the heat on at 55°F or higher in freezing weather, deal with leftovers and the trash, make the house look lived in, lock up, and ask someone you trust to check on it.
Things to do before leaving the house: the 10-item checklist
Check
Source
1. Pause mail and packages
USPS
2. Turn off tree lights and handle the tree
ESFI
3. Turn off the stove, oven and small appliances
American Red Cross; ESFI
4. Protect your pipes
NC State Extension
5. Deal with leftovers and the trash
Nebraska Extension; Westfield, IN
6. Make the house look lived in, and keep the trip off social media
Police departments in OH, VA and IN
7. Lock up and leave a key
Westfield, IN; Ross Township, OH, Police
8. Ask police about a vacation check
Police departments in OH, VA and IN
9. Ask someone you trust to check in
NC State Extension; Ross Township, OH, Police
10. Do one last walkthrough
Red Cross, ESFI, NC State, Westfield, IN
10 things to do before you leave
1Pause your mail and packages
USPS says Hold Mail pauses USPS delivery of letters and packages to an eligible address for 3 to 30 days. You can request a hold online up to 30 days before it starts, or complete PS Form 8076 at your local Post Office. USPS says it cannot be used to hold a single package, and it does not cover other carriers, so arrange those deliveries separately. If you pick up your accumulated mail at the Post Office, USPS says to do so within 10 days after the hold ends or it will be returned to the senders. Our practical tip: schedule the hold to begin on the first delivery day you will not be home to collect your mail.
2Turn off the tree lights and deal with the tree
Electrical Safety Foundation International says to water a live tree daily, to keep decorations three feet from heat sources, and never to leave electrical decorations on while sleeping or away from home. Our fire prevention tips cover more. Our practical tip: a live tree needs water every day, so if you will be away more than a day, ask someone to water it or consider skipping the live tree this year.
3Turn off the stove, oven and small appliances
The American Red Cross says to check before leaving home that all stoves, ovens and small appliances are turned off. Electrical Safety Foundation International says to always unplug countertop appliances when they are not in use. The Red Cross also recommends testing smoke alarms each month with the test button, so a test before a
