Pre Trip Checklist Before Leaving Home

Before you leave on a trip, handle the household systems that cause irreversible damage if they fail: shut off main water valves, lower the thermostat safely, pause mail and deliveries, clear perishable food, and leave an emergency key with one person. At Trecklist, we see travelers spend hours refining their luggage while leaving their property exposed to leaks or missed deliveries. Work through your house in order of potential cost so that physical hazards are secured days before departure.

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The Items That Cost the Most If You Skip Them

Shut off the main water supply to your living space, or close the individual valves for the washing machine and dishwasher before walking out the door. A ruptured appliance hose can flood multiple rooms over several days without anyone noticing. Set your water heater to vacation mode, low mode, or turn it off entirely to eliminate standby heating costs. Set your thermostat to a low baseline during winter to prevent frozen pipes, or raise the setpoint during summer to stop unnecessary air conditioning. In our packing lists and trip plans here at Trecklist, we divide home preparation between irreversible hazards and simple inconveniences so high-risk utilities get resolved first.

Turn off the main indoor water shutoff valve, or shut the isolation valves directly behind your washing machine and dishwasher
Switch your water heater to vacation mode or turn it off to save energy while the house sits empty
Keep heating on at a low setting in cold weather to prevent indoor pipes from freezing and bursting
Raise the cooling setpoint in warm climates so your system does not run continuously to chill empty rooms

Food Preparation and the Freezer Cup Check

Empty perishable food from your refrigerator shelves, take out every bag of trash, and wipe down interior surfaces before leaving. Place a coin on top of a frozen cup of water inside your freezer to monitor power reliability while you travel. If you return and find the coin resting at the bottom of the cup, your freezer lost power long enough to melt and refreeze, meaning the remaining food is unsafe. Run and empty the dishwasher completely to prevent foul odors from settling into the machine. Leave the refrigerator doors propped open only if you cut power to the appliance entirely for an extended absence.

Freeze a small cup of water, set a coin on the ice surface, and check its position when you return to detect power outages
Discard or freeze dairy, produce, and cooked leftovers that will spoil before your return date
Empty the dishwasher and clean out the kitchen sink drain to prevent stale odors from building up
Carry all kitchen and bathroom trash bags to outdoor bins before locking the doors

Mail Holds, Deliveries, and Street Visibility

Submit a hold-mail request through your local postal provider several days ahead of time so letters do not overflow your box. Many national postal services offer mail-holding or temporary forwarding, though specific limits and application rules vary by provider. Review all pending online retail orders and parcel shipments so you can delay delivery dates or redirect packages to secure pickup counters. Piles of uncollected flyers, newspapers, and porch boxes signal to passersby that nobody is home. Connect several interior lamps to mechanical timers or smart plugs to create normal lighting patterns throughout the evening.

File a mail-hold or forwarding order with your national postal service before departure
Reschedule pending parcel deliveries or select an alternate pickup locker for items arriving during your trip
Attach smart plugs or timers to living room lamps so interior lights turn on and off automatically
Avoid posting travel dates or departure photos to public social media accounts until you return home

Home Insurance Terms and Emergency Contacts

Check your home insurance policy documents for specific clauses regarding unoccupancy rules before leaving for an extended trip. Insurers often set distinct conditions for how long a dwelling can sit unattended without voiding water damage or theft coverage, and these terms vary between providers. Giving a house key to a neighbor does not satisfy formal policy requirements if your insurer requires regular inspections or direct notification. Select one reliable contact person and provide them with your full itinerary, contact details, a physical key, and phone numbers for your home utility services. Having a single contact who holds the entire picture is more effective than splitting tasks among multiple people who lack context.

Read your home insurance policy or contact your insurer directly to verify unoccupancy rules
Provide one trusted family member or neighbor with your full travel schedule, accommodation details, and contact numbers
Give your primary emergency contact a spare house key and contact numbers for local plumbers and utility technicians
Confirm that your contact knows how to access the property and where the main water shutoff valve is located

Care Routines for Plants and Pets

Arrange verified care for living plants and domestic pets well before your departure date. Pets require a designated caregiver equipped with clear feeding schedules, medical notes, and the phone number of your regular veterinarian. Give indoor houseplants a thorough watering shortly before departure and shift sensitive pots away from direct sunlight so soil retains moisture longer. If you plan an extended journey, transport delicate plants to a friend's house rather than leaving them untended. For advice on personal trip safety, read our travel safety checklist alongside your household arrangements.

Write out precise feeding, medication, and exercise schedules for your pet sitter alongside emergency veterinary contacts
Water houseplants thoroughly on the morning of departure to sustain them across shorter trips
Move potted plants out of dry, south-facing window light so moisture evaporates more slowly
Leave surplus pet food, clean litter, and spare grooming supplies in an easily visible spot for your caretaker

Electronics, Bills, and Travel Documents

Unplug household electronics, computer monitors, countertop small appliances, and phone chargers to protect them against voltage surges and cut idle energy draw. Pay upcoming utility bills early or verify that automated recurring payments are functioning on your bank accounts. Check whether your credit card companies require travel notices, as transaction monitoring policies vary across card issuers. Save offline digital copies of your passport and hotel confirmations on your phone, and verify passport expiration dates against destination entry rules well in advance. Make sure your devices and portable power banks are fully charged before you begin transit.

Unplug non-essential small appliances, television sets, desktop computers, and chargers from wall outlets
Verify that recurring utility bills and mortgage payments are scheduled for autopay during your trip
Check credit card travel notification requirements with your issuing banks to prevent card blocks abroad
Download digital copies of travel documents, transit passes, and offline area maps to your smartphone

Departure Schedule and the Final House Walkthrough

Executing a pre trip checklist before leaving home requires dividing your tasks across a timeline instead of rushing during the last hour. Complete insurance reviews, mail holds, and pet boarding reservations a week before departure. Handle deep refrigerator cleaning, parcel redirections, and bill payments two days prior. On your departure day, conduct a methodical room-by-room walkthrough to confirm window locks, inspect faucets, verify the stove is off, and check that your house keys and passport sit securely inside your personal bag. Once your home is secured, consult our guide on how to pack a suitcase to assemble your luggage for departure.

Schedule postal holds, insurance checks, and pet care one full week before leaving home
Manage perishable food, laundry, and parcel pickups forty-eight hours before departure
Inspect kitchen burners, oven knobs, irons, and bathroom faucets on the morning you leave
Lock all exterior windows and patio doors, arm security alarms, and place keys directly in your carry-on luggage

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most important thing to do at home before vacation?

Shut off your main water supply or the valves to your washing machine and dishwasher, because a water leak can do some of the worst damage to an unattended house. Adjusting your thermostat to an energy-saving yet safe temperature is the next priority.

What should I set my thermostat to when leaving home?

Set your thermostat to a low baseline during winter months to keep indoor pipes from freezing, and raise the setpoint moderately during hot summer months to prevent unnecessary cooling costs. The exact temperature setting depends on your local climate, outdoor forecasts, and home insulation.

How does the coin on a cup of ice trick work?

Freeze a small container of water solid, set a metal coin directly on top of the ice, and place it in your freezer. If you return from travel and see the coin submerged inside the ice block or resting at the bottom, your freezer lost power long enough for food to thaw and spoil.

Do I need to notify my home insurance company before traveling?

Review your specific insurance contract, because many policies contain strict limits regarding how long a property may remain unoccupied without invalidating coverage. Reach out directly to your provider to confirm their unoccupancy terms rather than assuming coverage remains active.

Should I unplug appliances before going on a trip?

Unplug non-essential appliances such as televisions, computers, microwave ovens, toasters, and device chargers before traveling. This step protects equipment against unexpected electrical surges and stops small electronic devices from consuming standby power.

How do I stop deliveries while traveling?

Submit an official hold-mail request through your postal provider and reschedule or redirect pending commercial parcel deliveries to local pickup points. Keeping packages and letters off your porch prevents outdoor clutter that signals the property is empty.

Who should have a house key while I am away?

Give a spare key to one trusted person along with your complete itinerary, contact numbers, and information for local repair trades. Having a single contact person who understands the full situation is safer and more reliable than distributing partial instructions to multiple neighbors.

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