When you leave for vacation, do you ...

[LeslieM]

Have a housesitter ? What do you do with your pet buddies ? Do you close all your curtains up tight and set lamp timers ?

I'm always fascinated by how others handle these things. And, I have w-a-a-y too much time on my hands planning our next trip, since I keep ignoring REAL life and keep playing Disney !

Tell me (and your DIS friends) all about what YOU do!
Leslie

 

[birdiesunshine]

Usually a family member comes over daily to get our mail and feed our fish. We don't get crazy about setting timers and stuff.

 

[Trish5768]

The neighbors get a key so they can feed and water the cat. We turn the water off (kitty gets bottled), turn the hall light on, lock up and we are gone. I try not to worry about the little stuff, if someone wants in they are going to get in whether I'm next door or 800 miles away.

 

[4cruisin]

We are fortunate that we own a 2 family and have wonderful tenants so our kitty is well taken care of while we are on vacation. I do have timers on 2 lights that I use whether we are home or away. I leave the shades up since they are up when we are home. I always make sure the house is cleaned, vacuumed and dusted. My dh thinks it's crazy to dust before I leave for vacation, but I figure if something happens, I don't want anyone to think I'm a lousy housekeeper.

 

[disneyluvers]

We have timers on the LR TV and a couple of lamps. That's so our kitties aren't stuck in too too quiet house while we're gone. Mom comes over to tend to them and our rabbit. Other than that we do the usual. Security, stop mail and paper, oh, and we have a friend park in our spot now and then.

 

[catsrule]

Nephew cat sits. He will stay over a few days, check on kitties, feed and pooper scoop the others. I also hear he throws a nice party.

 

[ahutton]

We have a college student we trust (she watches our kids - has for the past couple years) and she stays at the house while we are out of town. The pets are happy, they have company to sleep with at night, and when we come home all is like we left it.

Don't feel bad about being a cleaning freak before you travel, I do that too. I hate to come home from vacation to a mess, so I clean the kitchen, dust, vacuum, put away everything, etc before we go.

 

[LeslieM]

It makes all the difference in the world coming home to a clean house -- I don't dread it as much but feel welcomed. Anything to ease the shock of returning to real life, especially when coming back from the World.

Leslie

 

[Pop Daddy]

I just burn my house down and start over when i come back

 

[meeshi]

We have a neighbor come daily to take care of the pets. I also don't like coming home to a messy house so I clean before I leave.

 

[Boston Tea Party]

I thought everyone on the DIS left their wives at home.

 

[Jeanny]

I pet-sit for my best friends while they're on vacation 2-3 times a year (long weekends to 10 days).

They leave some lights on, I take the mail & newspapers in, water their plants and take the dog out to go potty 3 times a day... the kittys are pretty independent, I just have to empty their automated litter ever few days.

I will leave different lights on so it looks like someone is there,,, sometimes, I'll leave the hall light on, sometimes, the sitting room, etc. When it's hot out, I turn the fan on for the dog and then turn it down next time I go to visit...

 

[Margie J]

My Condo always has lamp timers. I water the plants really well and the fish tank has an automatic feeder that lasts for two weeks.

At my house I have lamp timers and an ADT security and fire alarm system. No worries there.

 

[aprilgail2]

I board the dog, put a timer on the living room lamp and my neighbor picks up our mail and papers.....if you stop the mail the whole post office knows you are out of town and I don't want that getting around, same with the paper people. We leave one of the cars out so there is a car in front of the house, leave the sprinklers on automatic to water the lawns and plants...

 

[auntpolly]

Originally posted by Trish5768
We turn the water off

I just wanted to say that this is really important. My neighbor came home to $150,000 of structural damage in his house because a plastic screw on his toilet went bad -- water sprayed out for at least a day before the cat sitter noticed (she was just going into the kitchen and the toilet was upstairs.) The plumber said it happens all the time and everybody should always turn off their water before they leave their house for vacation!!!!

I also call the local police and my neighbors and give them our itinerary. I make sure a neighbor has a key.

 

[Lynn CC]

We have to have the house spotless before we go away. Family usually stays here while we are gone, a few days here, then someone else another few days. They all try to plan a little get away to our house when they know it will be empty! They take care of the mail and newspaper, dog, pool etc.
I sometimes come home to a not so spotless house

 

[CyranoJones]

I go into what my DH refers to as "house sterilization" mode before we go away. I have no idea why I do it but it makes me feel better.

A dear friend comes in each day to feed the pets and check the house. We don't worry much about lights and such, although we do have a couple on timers when we're home so we leave those as they are. I usually worry more about our vacation home and have a property manager look after things there.

 

[TEENEE]

I have a light in the living room on a timer, even when we are home. I stop the mail and take the dog to the doggie hotel. I have cousins that live down the street, they check on the house daily while we are gone.

I learned the hard way that you should turn your water off when you leave. When I went on vacation a few years ago I came home to a mess. The hose on my washer broke. It had rained for several days so noone noticed the water running out of my house. When the rain stopped but there was still water outside of my door my cousin went to investigate. My entire house was soaked. Furniture, carpet, cabinets and drywall all had to be replaced. It took two months for all the work to be done. My kids and I had to live with my parents while the repairs were being made. The restoration company suggests that all rubber hoses in your house be replaced with metal braided hoses, they won't break as easily. Learn from my experience, turn your water off. I would hate to see anyone go through the mess that I went through.

Tina

 

[kellyb2000]

Originally posted by auntpolly

I also call the local police and my neighbors and give them our itinerary.

WOW! Why do you call the police? I'm not trying to bash you at all, I'm just actually curious as to why you call them and what their reaction is when you do.

I must be living on the edge because all I do is make sure my doors are locked!

 

[auntpolly]

Originally posted by kellyb2000
WOW! Why do you call the police? I'm not trying to bash you at all, I'm just actually curious as to why you call them and what their reaction is when you do.

I must be living on the edge because all I do is make sure my doors are locked!

Actually, we are encouraged to do this -- the police always announce (especially in the summer) that if you are going away to let them know and they'll keep an eye on your house. I see them doing it for my neighbors -- they walk around the yard, check the doors -- every day or so. It's nice. Don't all towns do this?