Top Checklist to Prevent Home Issues While You’re Away

Many homeowners plan holidays and just worry about leaving the house. With this checklist to prevent home issues you can travel away from home with real peace of mind. In this article we offer some top tips on some routine checks you need to run periodically to ensure your home is running smoothly. Then with a housesitter in place you can leave home for a holiday confident that all will be well.

Checklist to Prevent Home Issues While you are Away

Most of the time, your trip does not get ruined by big, easy-to-see problems. It is the small things that you can miss. Here is what you need to know before you go away. A few two-minute checks inside and outside your house can help stop big, costly issues while you are not there. Some of the most missed checks are about your garage door.

Here is a handy guide for Irvine homeowners a checklist to prevent home issues while you’re away. It is set by area of the home. Each small check is matched with the bigger problem they help stop.

Small Garage Door Checks With Big Payoffs

Many people do not know that the garage door has a lot of small parts that need to be taken care of. If you skip these, things can go wrong. This often happens at the worst time, like the night before you have to catch a flight.

Clean Sensor Lenses to Prevent a Stuck Door

• Please clean the sensor lenses at the bottom of the track on both sides.
• Dust, spider webs, or dirt can fool the sensors into believing something is blocking the door.
• A dirty sensor is one of the top reasons a door will not close, even if nothing is really there.

Listen for Noise Changes to Catch Wear Early

• Run the door a few times. Listen for grinding, popping, or straining noises.
• A noise that you did not hear last month can be the first sign that a part is wearing out.
• If you notice this early, you can fix it easily. It helps you avoid bigger problems if you are away. A quick call to a garage door repair in Irvine, CA before you go out can save you trouble.

Check the Weatherstripping to Avoid Pest and Water Issues

• Look at the bottom seal for cracks, open spaces, or places where it looks flat.
• A seal that is worn out may let pests get into the house if no one is there.
• Spaces in the seal can let water in when it rains. This can cause harm that you may not see until you get back.

Small Plumbing Checks That Prevent Costly Leaks

Plumbing problems often stay out of sight until they turn into a big issue. A leak that is not fixed can keep going for days before someone spots it.

Locate the Shut-Off Valve

• You should know where the main water shut-off valve is before you leave. It’s better to be sure, not when there is an emergency.
• If you will be away for a long time, you can shut the water off to be safe.
• Tell anyone who checks on the house where the valve is. They may need it.

Check Under Sinks for Slow Drips

• Look under the kitchen and bathroom sinks. See if there is any moisture or slow drips.
• A small drip that stays for a week or two can cause cabinets to get misshapen. It can also cause mold.
• It is easier to fix a small drip before you leave. It is much harder to fix water damage after you come back.

Small Electrical Checks That Prevent Fire Risk

Electrical issues can be a big problem when a house is empty. A few small checks can help lower this risk.

Test Smoke and CO Detectors

• Press the test button on each detector. Change the batteries if you are not sure they are good.
• Look at the date when the detector was made. Most detectors need to be changed every 8 to 10 years even if they seem to work.
• A working detector can be the thing that stands between a small problem and a big problem when no one is home.

Unplug Small Appliances

• Unplug things like coffee makers, toasters, and phone chargers. These use power even when you turn them off.
• Doing this lowers fire risk and keeps sensitive electronics safe from power surges.
• Keep main items, like the refrigerator or any security systems, on if you need them.

Small HVAC Checks That Prevent System Strain

When an HVAC system keeps working for days or weeks and no one is there, people can’t see if something is wrong. It may start to struggle, and there will be no one to fix it.

Replace the Air Filter

• Swap the filter if it is due soon, or if it is almost time, before you go.
• A clogged filter makes the system work harder. This leads to more wear and higher energy use.
• This job is small and cheap, but it helps guard a system that costs a lot more.

Set a Safe Temperature Range

• Do not turn the system off, especially when Irvine gets warm.
• Choose a middle temperature. This helps the system work well and does not waste energy.
• A good temperature keeps electronics, wood furniture, and other things safe from very hot weather.

Small Habits That Make a Big Difference Long Term

Each of these checks takes just a few minutes to do on its own. Still, when you do all of them, you make your home much less likely to give you a big, expensive issue after you come back from a trip.

Build a Two Minute Pre-Trip Habit

• Keep a short list in your head or write it down. Do these checks every time before you go so it feels normal.
• Walk through the steps the night before your trip. Do not wait until the morning when you leave, since you might feel rushed.
• It is better to be steady than to be super detailed. Small checks done every time will find more problems than looking too hard but less often.

Know Which Small Issues Need a Professional

• A garage door that makes a new noise, feels harder to open, or moves in an uneven way should get checked out before you leave.
• Routine garage door maintenance every year or two can help prevent small problems from turning into big repairs over time.
• If your door is old and always needs repairs, it can be smarter and save you money to try a Garage Door Installation instead of fixing the same things again and again.

Final Thoughts on the Checklist to Prevent Home Issues: A Little Prevention Goes a Long Way

None of these tips in the checklist to prevent home issues need a lot of time. But if you skip them, small things you can fix may turn into big and costly problems when you are away. If you make a quick habit before each trip to look at the garage door, plumbing, electrical, and HVAC systems, you will feel better. You can go on your trip and relax. You will not keep thinking about what you might have missed.

If you feel your garage door at your Irvine home needs to be checked before you go on a trip, Ocean Coast Garage Doors is ready to help. They can do inspections, repairs, and regular care to find small problems early. As a trusted Garage door company in Irvine, CA, they will make sure your door is good to go, so you have nothing to worry about when you are not at home.

FURTHER READING

At Housesit Match we like to offer our readers articles related to the blog they have found online such as this one on ‘top checklist to prevent home issues’. Please find a selection of additional blogs on similar topics related to home maintenance, and house sitting. These articles have been curated for you in our list below:

Expensive look at home – Get the look

Home decorating to beautify any room in your home

Choose flooring to upgrade a room

Housesitters keep pets safe at home and save money

Preparing a home for a house or pet sitter

What is House Sitting: Everything You Need to Know