It is that time of the year again! Sadly, most of our clients will be returning to their other homes before the heat sets in. We will miss you, but give you our assurance that we will be here to look after your home while you are away. We know you all have your close up routines, but we have put together a quick checklist that may help you think of some things you will not want to miss before you leave. As always, let us know how we can be of help. Note: This is a list of suggestions only!
Keep in mind Carlson Concierge provides a lot of these services seasonally as well as on an ongoing basis.
• Let Carlson Concierge know of your scheduled dates of departure
• Move patio furniture and cushions indoors.
• Bring in anything located outdoors that may blow around in a heavy monsoon storm, don’t forget the umbrellas!
• Clean your outdoor grill (rodents love grill drippings)!
• Lock patio doors. Install wood dowel in tracks to restrain sliding doors and windows.
• Properly dispose of any bags of garbage. Wash out big bins with water and bleach.
• Stop mail or have it forwarded. Cancel newspaper subscriptions.
• Remove the vacuum cleaner bag and replace with a fresh one. Replace any water filters with clean ones.
• Notify your neighbors that Carlson Concierge will be doing periodic checks of your home and if they should notice anything suspicious to please call Carlson Concierge.
• Inspect or have inspected your roof for damage or leaks.
• Make sure your HVAC system is working properly and in good condition set the thermostat at 85-87 degrees. See March Newsletter for annual HVAC service
• Some residents like to have a professional pest-control firm spray around the house before they leave.
• Make sure the stove is off.
• Make sure any open food items that could rot or draw bugs or mice are thrown away.
• Clean your dishwasher thoroughly, paying attention to the edges of the door. Blot up any residual water in the bottom after you run your last load, or leave it open to thoroughly dry.
• Thoroughly clean all appliances. Don’t forget the toaster, blender, mixer, microwave oven, toaster oven, and range (including oven and broiler, as well as burners and drip pans). Any food particles or residue can attract pests.
• Remove all perishable food from refrigerator and disconnect the ice-cube maker. TIP: Put a bag of ice cubes in the freezer, if you come back to a bag of cubes great, if not then somewhere along the line the power was out too long and frozen foods should now be thrown out.
• If leaving a car behind, prepare it for long-term storage or arrange with Carlson Concierge to start and run it on our visits.
• Make sure the washing machine is fully drained so mold will not grow.
• Make sure all curtains and blinds are closed to prevent anyone from seeing inside, and to keep out as much heat as possible.
• Unplug TV’s, any small kitchen appliances, stereo, DVD player, computer, power strips, or anything that has a “Sleep” mode.
• Put a timer on at least one light, set to come on and off to make the home appear occupied. Make sure all windows are closed and locked.
• Clean all floor coverings and all surfaces to ensure that no food particles or stains attract bugs or cause mildew.
• Turn on security system
• Have potentially destructive tree branches cut back and trees thinned (tree trimming should be done annually prior to monsoon season)
• Bring a list of important phone numbers with you, such as the management company, utility companies, and neighbors’ phone numbers.
• Leave a to-do list for Lee of any painting, power washing or other jobs that you would like to have bid…We will take care of it for you and it will be ready when you return in the fall!
• Leave extra batteries, air filters and salt in case we need to replace them while you are away.
Visit the Carlson Concierge Website for a list of Home Watch Services.
