Along with summer comes all of those vacations you’ve been planning for the last few months, or the spontaneous ones that just popped up on your radar. You’ve probably already thought through the kind of things you’ll need to get before you leave, but have you thought of your Chico apartment?

Leaving on vacation doesn't have to be stressful if you're prepared! Let your worries take a rest while you get some rest this summer.

Whether you are going away for a long weekend or you have a month-long trip planned, it’s important that you don’t forget to take care of what you’ll be leaving behind. We’ve created a checklist of sorts in order to make sure you don’t miss anything.

Apartment Sitter

If you have plants or a pet it might be a good plan to ask a friend if they wouldn’t mind staying at your apartment to take care of things. Whether it’s hanging out with your pet and making sure they are fed and taken out to use the bathroom, or just stopping by once a day to water your plants, an apartment sitter is a huge help.

Mail 

If you plan to have someone watch your apartment, be sure to have them grab your mail and place it on the counter. If you aren’t having an apartment sitter, then you can either see if a neighbor will grab your mail for you or you can contact the post office to stop your mail for however long you’ll be gone.

Pay Bills

Going to be gone when a bill is due? Pay your bill in advance so you don’t come back to a final notice sitting in your mail. You can also set up a payment so that while you’re gone it’s scheduled to be pulled out of your account.

Inform the Bank

If you are going to a place you’ve never been or haven’t been in a really long time let your bank know about it. There is nothing worse than trying to purchase toilet paper and being declined because your bank thinks your card got stolen.

Unplug Electronics 

Unplug all the electronics that won’t be in use and don’t require a lot of set up, like your coffee pot, microwave, or toaster. For the bigger electronics like your T.V. or cable box, make sure they are plugged into a surge protector. That way if there is a problem with the circuits while you’re gone it won’t fry your systems. 

Notify Someone 

Doesn’t matter if you are gone for a weekend or for 6 months, let someone know you are going to be gone and how they can reach you in case of an emergency. You can tell a close friend, neighbor, or your apartment manager.

Thermostat 

It’s summer in Chico, that means there will be temperatures in the hundreds. It would be a nightmare if you came home to a power bill that stated you used your A/C the entire time you were gone. In order to prevent that shock to your system make sure to set your thermostat to stay at or above 85 degress the entire time you are gone.

Cleaning Your Apartment

There is nothing worse than coming home from a vacation and walking into a dirty apartment. You’re exhausted and barely want to unpack your bag let alone try to figure out what that awful smell is. To prevent coming home to a mess it’s always good to do some cleaning before leaving.

• Fridge/Freezer: Clean out anything that is perishable from both your fridge or freezer, even if you don’t think it’ll go bad. Getting your fridge down to the bare essentials is okay, it means that in no way will it be emitting a nasty smell when you come back.

• Trash: It does you no good to empty out your fridge and freezer if you don’t actually take it out of your apartment. Therefore, make sure to take out the trash before locking up your apartment and locking in all the current smells.

• Laundry: Washing all the clothes in the hamper and the sheets on your bed means coming home to a clean room [and space to unpack]. It also allows you to pack any clothes you forgot you wanted but were dirty. Nothing is better than coming home and falling asleep on a pillow that smells like your refreshing dryer sheet.

• Dust: It's optional, but highly recommended if you are going away for a longer than a week. While you’re gone more dust will accumulate making your apartment smell like it needs to be aired out ASAP when you return. Giving your surfaces a quick sweep will minimize the amount and smell you come back to.

Have a Great Vacation!

Vacationing during the summer can be a blast, especially if you know that when you come home everything will be clean and no unexpected bills will be showing up. Can you really plan for the unexpected to happen though? You can! With renter’s insurance you’ll be covered in case of the unexpected like a burglar or a fire. Learn more about it in our Renter’s Insurance 101 eBook!