The season of holidays is almost upon us, meaning that many of us are currently preparing to soak up some vacation time. Whether you’re about to head on a minibreak for the Easter holidays, or are securing the final plans for your summer holiday, lots of us have got the travel bug!
Of course, the most important aspects of planning a holiday are making sure that all of your accommodation, travel and financial arrangements are in place. However, what you might not consider is that your home also needs to be prepped before you jet off.
Even if you are not travelling far for your break away, it is still crucial that you leave your normal life at home as organised as possible, so that your eventual return to normality will run smoothly.
With this in mind, the travel experts at SkyParkSecure recently came up with a foolproof list of top tips for your pre-holiday checklist:
‘Tidy home tidy mind’
When you’re prepping for a holiday, it’s expected that your house will slowly turn into a chaotic mess. Eventually, everything will be neatly packed away into your luggage, meaning that you will then have the chance to tidy up your living space before you leave. Although it will feel like an irritating chore at the time, Future You will appreciate it if you give your home a quick clean and tidy ahead of your holiday. This doesn’t have to be a super deep clean - simply doing the washing up, cleaning the surfaces, hoovering and tidying items away will make you feel more relaxed and organised upon your return.
Do your washing
Before a big trip, it’s easy to prioritise washing the clothes that you intend to wear throughout your holiday, and putting your dirty, everyday outfits out of mind in the washing basket. Then, upon your return from your vacation, not only are you faced with all of your holiday washing, but you are then tasked with your pre-holiday clothes wash, too. To combat this chore, push yourself to sort through as much of your washing, drying and ironing as possible, so that you don’t become overwhelmed when you arrive home.
Empty your fridges and bins
We’ve lost count of the amount of times that we have returned home from holiday to a strange smell in the house, only to realise that we forgot to chuck away expired products and empty the bins. Not only is the smell of rotten food extremely unpleasant, but it can also cause bacteria to breed if left in your fridge. Before you leave for your trip, be sure to clear out your fridge of all expiring products. Note your bins timetable, too - if they need to be collected during your absence, ask your neighbours to put them out for you.
Check your deliveries
These days, many of us tend to indulge in parcel subscriptions. With our hectic schedules, it can be easy for these subscriptions to slip your mind before your vacation. Don’t forget to cancel any subscriptions that are due to arrive during your time away - the last thing you want is to arrive home with expired milk or meal deals on your doorstep! If there are any non-food subscriptions that you don’t feel the need to cancel, you can always get them delivered to a neighbour’s home instead.
Tick off your to-do list
Packing for your holidays can be an all-consuming process, meaning that other ‘life admin’ is often pushed to one side. However, it is still really important to get all of those other little tasks completed before you go, to ensure that you don’t come back home to a stressful environment! Before you jet off, tick as many things as you can off your to-do list, such as completing shopping refunds, paying bills and attending any necessary appointments.
Plan your food
So, you’ve cleared out your fridge of any risky, expired food… but do you have any food left for when you return home? Although it is a tedious task right before your vacation, you will feel incredibly glad when you come back home to cupboards stocked full of your favourite snacks. In terms of fresh essentials such as milk and bread, it could be a good idea to schedule a food shop to be delivered on the day you are due to return home.
