Have you ever left to go on a trip and then felt so absent-minded about forgetting to do something important? It happens to the best of us, and we may forget some important things that should really have been done before we left.

Don’t worry, though, we’ve got you covered with some of the things that are less obvious but that you should still try to do before you leave. Now, we are going to assume that you will remember things like packing your bags, buying what you need, and making sure your pets are taken care of. We are talking about some of the tasks that people tend to forget, and you may be guilty of forgetting a few.

Stop the Mail

You may be too busy packing to think about what will happen to your mail. You can simply call the post office or pay them a visit to get this fixed, though. Let them know you will be travelling and how long you will be gone for, and they will have no problem holding your mail for you. This is one of the simplest tasks on this list, but it is also very easy to forget, especially if you don’t check your mail every day.

Turn off Power and Water

This is not absolutely essential, but it is worth considering. You may want to shut off the water to your house and the power supply, and there are good reasons why.

Imagine that one of your pipes springs a leak when you are gone. You could come back to ruined floors or even a flooded home. It is better to be safe than sorry when it comes to potential water problems. Just use the main shutoff valve for your home and keep the water from entering your house while you are gone.

Electricity coming to your home is a matter of wastage rather than safety. If you have devices in your home that use electricity while turned off, like video game consoles, the fridge, or the television, then you may want to turn the power off before you leave. Now, if you have items in the freezer or fridge that you don’t want to spoil, then don’t turn off the power. Instead, you can unplug those items that use power when they are not in use.

Have Your Home Cleaned

No one wants to come back to a messy house, and one of the simplest and most effective ways to ensure that you come back to a home that feels welcoming is to have it professionally cleaned. You can get expert cleaning in San Jose at a reasonable price if you shop around and compare prices or if you know right where to look.

Having someone clean your home before you go (or even while you are gone) gives you a beautiful space to come back to. It eliminates some of the stress that you can feel when you return from vacation and take care of a lot of chores that you might feel like you need to do when you return. This is a great way to help you and your family relax when you get back home, and we highly recommend it.

Give Yourself Extra Time

This is one that many people forget, but we think it is absolutely essential. If you schedule some extra time for your vacation so that it extends beyond your return date, you will be glad you did. That is the smart move since you don’t know if there will be any delays or other problems.

If you are scheduled to go back to work right after you return from vacation, you may be too tired to start back right away. That first day could be rough. If your flight is delayed, you could stress about how you will make it back in time. If you hurry back to work immediately, you may not get done the things at home that need to be done, that you need to catch up on.

It is better to just have a little extra time to rest or get things sorted out, which is why we advise scheduling a little extra vacation time for yourself. This prevents you from spoiling the end of your vacation too, feeling like you need to be careful about how much energy you expend on your last day out.

Plan Alternatives

Last minute changes to your vacation plans are no fun, of course, but they may happen. The reality is that sometimes the weather does not hold up, despite what the weatherman says. Some aspects of your trip may be cancelled or not work out, and you need to have alternatives planned, just in case.

This isn’t about thinking negatively. It is about being prepared, and it is best to discuss alternative plans with your family ahead of time so that everyone is on board and in agreement about what the alternatives should be. If you can do that, then if things go awry, you will all be prepared, both mentally and physically.

Take Care of the Laundry

A small problem can pile up if it is allowed to persist for too long, and bad smells can get worse over time. If you have any dirty clothes in the house when you go on vacation, they will probably smell really bad when you come back. It is best to do all the laundry before leaving. That way, when you get back, you will have clean clothes to wear, and you will have a home that smells pleasant.

We advise you to take out the trash and wash all the dirty clothes before you leave on vacation. If you can handle these tasks before heading out, you will have much more of a pleasant time when you come back. We hope our tips prove helpful to you and allow you to have a good vacation. If there is anything we forgot, be sure to mention it.

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