Three things to do in your home before going on vacation

Daily Mail​

3 days ago

Summer is officially underway, which means many families are leaving their homes for relaxing summer vacations. But before you fly out the door with suitcases in tow, cleaning expert and internet personality Kyshawn Lane recommends you tick a few things off of a simple list to protect your home and save you thousands.
Lane is known for his weekly home checks, which teach viewers how to save time, money, and energy while keeping their houses in the best possible condition. His latest video addresses the best way to leave your home prior to a vacation to ensure that you can soak up every second of relaxation while you're away. Daily Mail caught up with Lane, who explained why each tip is so important and provided some bonus advice.
The first recommendation is to set your water heater to pilot or vacation mode. That saves energy by limiting unneeded water usage while you're out of town. 'The water heater is something that you know we're unconscious about, that we use it every day and how much energy it uses,' he told Daily Mail. 'So if there's no one home and there's no need for hot water, you might as well give it a break and put some money back in your pocket.' But he warned against turning the water heater all the way off, because getting it restarted can be a hassle. 'You'll have to relight the pilot and sometimes that can put a little stress on its parts,' he said.
Second, he said to adjust your thermostat to 78 degrees in the summer, which will keep you from coming back to a musty home, which can even impact your health. 'It's the perfect temperature,' he said. Especially if you have plants or even electronics that can be affected by the heat. Turning your thermostat to a perfect 78 degrees can prevent damage to those items while saving energy and money. 'If you have pets or even electronics and plants, it can be crucial,' he said. Lane warned, however, not to turn your thermostat all the way off. 'It's going to use more energy, trying to get the climate back to where it was or where it needs to be,' he explained.
He said it's also crucial at the end of each summer to perform routine maintenance on any over-worked appliances. 'Get your AC checked or tuned,' he said. 'It should be done like every one to three years depending on how you use it so that it's good for next summer. You don't wanna be in a predicament where it's blazing hot outside and suddenly that AC cranks out on you so definitely always be up-to-date with the health of your AC.' Having frozen pipes is also a costly consequence of not taking care of your home before leaving on a vacation in the winter time. 'There are damages that we don't see... when your pipes freeze or they burst,' he said. 'Then you have water in the walls and you have to worry about fighting mold and bacteria growing in the walls.' To prevent costly, often invisible damage, turning the heat to just 55 degrees is crucial. For money and energy saving in any season, Lane said it's a good idea to make sure none of your air is escaping through cracks in windows or door frames. Homeowners often unknowingly crank up their energy bills because regulated air isn't circulating properly in their home.
The hack he said is the most important? Turning off the main water valve in your home to prevent leaking. Lane learned this lesson the hard way after forgetting to complete the step and coming home to a water leak that cost him thousands of dollars. 'I returned from vacation. It was around 10 pm at night. I'm thinking I'm just gonna come home and have a chill night and go to bed,' Lane recalled. 'I come home to a leaking ceiling that started from my top bathroom floor and penetrated all the way down to my basement.' He said something as simple as turning off his water valve could have prevented the inconvenience and thousands of dollars he had to spend to have it fixed. 'Just something as simple as turning off the main water valve when you're gonna be away for a few days will give you peace of mind that you won't be returning to a tsunami once you come back home,' Lane said.
If you live in an apartment and don't have to worry about water valve leaks and water heater costs, Lane said there are still a few things you can do to save yourself some money and make sure you're coming home to a relaxing space. He said to place electronics like your refrigerator on energy saver or vacation mode before heading out of town and unplug toasters, lamps, and electronics that won't be used while you're away. 'When we go out we always say "I'm unplugging," do the same for the home,' he said. When you return from a trip, Lane said to make sure to turn your water valve back on, switch on the water heater, and set your thermostat to a comfortable temperature once again.
But he noted there are a couple of extra steps he likes to take to make sure everything in the home is in order. 'I'm flushing the toilets to make sure that everything is still working. I'm running the faucet,' he added. He said it's good to make sure your space is 'in good shape to move forward since you know it hasn't been used.' Lane frequently shares tips and tricks for homeowners on his Instagram and TikTok page. In any season it's important to make sure you're not wasting your money or energy on unnecessary home repairs and expenses. 'We're about saving money here,' he said.