Passport, sunglasses, plane tickets… Okay, you’ve packed all the things you’ll need at your destination! But it is also a good idea to go by a checklist for your home before you jet off. This will see you leave home with peace of mind and avoid nasty surprises when you get back.

Anti-burglary checklist

• Lock and bolt all doors and windows
• Ask a neighbour to empty your letterbox
• Do not leave any valuables in sight : put away your valuable items, put them in a bank safe or hand them over to someone you trust for safekeeping
• Do not leave ladders or hand tools lying around outdoors
• Lock any two-wheelers you have, even in the garage
• Make it look like you are at home using automatic switch on/off of lights, radio, stereo and telly
• Check if your insurance policy is valid
• Inform the local police that you’ll be away on holiday
• If you have one in place: activate your burglar alarm

Home safety checklist

• Switch off all electrical appliances
• Unplug as many wall plugs as you can
• Turn off the supply cocks to your gas or oil-fired heating units
• Turn off the mains gas at the meter and shut the valves on any gas cylinders you are using
• Do not keep  inflammable products in the house
• Do not leave  spray cans exposed to direct sunlight

Energy conservation checklist

• Turn off the boiler
• Switch off the heating and turn off the pilot lights (boiler, water heater, convector). Do NOT cut off the electricity supply at the meter, as some appliances need to remain on (aquarium, alarms, timers, etc.).
• Empty and unplug your refrigerator. Leave the refrigerator door open to prevent moulding. Do likewise for the freezer if you are going to be away for any great length of time.
• Unplug all chargers and power supply units (PC, Wi-Fi router, devices on standby, etc.) to avoid standby power consumption .