Those of you who know my wife and I also know that we like to celebrate great life events in sunny destinations. We got engaged in St Lucia, Married in Hawaii, and very soon we will be honeymooning in Greece! A link to our engagement video (yes I caught the proposal on video!) and reception slideshows are at the bottom of this post for anyone who wants to relive some of the best moments in our lives!
The date that my wife and I will be leaving for our honeymoon is quickly approaching! We are really excited to start our vacation in Greece.
So, I thought that it might be timely to list a few important things to remember before you leave for your next vacation, and your condo empty:
Turn off the water
The best way to avoid a water leak from your home is to turn it off. A leak under your sink can’t do any damage if there is no water source.
Don’t let damage go undetected: have your home inspected every couple days
Give a key to a trusted neighbor or friend. Ask them to inspect your unit once every other day to make sure nothing has gone wrong. This is not just a smart thing to do, it is a requirement of many condo owner policies.
Don’t come home to sewer gas: keep water in the p-traps
Ask your house sitter to flush the toilets and run the taps about once a week or so. This will keep water in the p-traps so that sewer gasses cannot enter your home.
If no one is available to run the taps while you are away, try putting a small amount of vegetable oil down the drain. The oil will sit on top of the water and decrease the speed at which the water evaporates.
Don’t let your pipes burst: keep your home heated
If you are leaving during the winter months, you should turn down the heat in your home. Just don’t turn it off entirely. If the temperature in your home drops below zero while you are away, pipes may freeze and burst. And I’m sure that there is nothing you want less than your strata manager calling to let you know that you are going to have a soggy home to come back to when you return from vacation.
Don’t be surprised by a disaster that happened while you were away: provide your strata with an emergency contact
If you won’t be available to respond to emergencies while you are away, be sure to let your strata manager or strata council know who to contact in the event of an emergency.
Most importantly…
Once you have made sure your home is secure and in good hands while you are away, it’s time to focus on something really important… enjoying a daiquiri by the beach! Its vacation time!
And now, as promised, here is a link to the video of my engagement to Dinel, followed by the slideshow we played when we celebrated our Hawaiian wedding with our family back in Canada. I hope you enjoy, I know we did!