There can be a lot to sort out with the house before you leave for Christmas. In this article we go over the 9 most important things to do before you go…
1. Turn off the main water supply
Don’t snooker yourself this Christmas and leave the main water supply on. The washing machine isn’t going to wash clothes by itself while your away, so it doesn’t need water. Once you’ve turned off the main water supply, turn on the kitchen and bathroom taps until they run dry. You don’t want to come back to a flooded house after Christmas. What a great way to start the new year…
2. Lock up everything
Student houses are prime targets for burglaries. Lock your front door. Lock your back door. Lock the shed door. Lock the windows. You get the idea.
And if you’re one of those people that stores house keys under rocks and plant pots; please don’t. You’re not the only one who thought of it. Take all keys with you when you leave.
3. Save electricity
Students can barely afford the utility bills as it is so don’t make it harder on yourself! Go around the house and switch off all plugs. Appliances can suck up power even when they’re not in use. However, obviously if you’ve still got food in your fridge/freezer don’t be a muppet and turn that switch off.
4. Take out the rubbish
Coming home to the rotten smell of garbage is not exactly pleasant. It could also attract some unwanted guests in the form of rats.
5. Turn on the alarms
If you’re one of those lucky souls whose student house came with a burglar alarm, now’s your time to shine. Turn the alarm on and keep those burglars at bay.
6. Alert your neighbours
Now this one is only relevant if you have a good relationship with your neighbours. And with all those late-night student parties I think I might be pushing the boat out a little too far here.
However, if your neighbours are cooperative then let them know how long you’re leaving and give them a number to contact you on. They can also make sure no leaflets have been left at your door or hang out of the letterbox.
7. Leave the heating on a low level
It can get very cold over the winter which can lead to pipes freezing and then bursting. Broken pipes could create some serious water damage and it’s your stuff that’s at risk!
8. Do the washing up
Unless you like living with household pests then it’s a good idea to finish the washing up. Here’s your chance to get that kitchen looking like it did the day you moved in. You can check to see if your potential house has a persistent pest problem by checking out the property review on our site.
9. Hide visible valuables
If you insist on leaving your valuables in the house when you leave, then make sure they aren’t visible. If burglars can see valuable items through the window, then you best believe if they get the chance they will break into your house.
Hopefully you found this article useful and for more student tips make sure to browse our other articles on the blog page!
If you live in a student house and haven’t already reviewed it for other potential tenants to see, make sure you submit one now! It only takes a few minutes and could be hugely beneficial to the next students planning to move in!
Alternatively, if you haven’t checked if your future house has been reviewed on our website, search here!
