YOUR NEXT STEP, WITH CONFIDENCE
Preparing Your Home Before a Vacation: Three Practical Steps
Organize security, household maintenance and a trusted local contact before leaving home.
Updated November 1, 2026 · Originally published 2024-07-11
A vacation checklist is most useful when it covers both security and ordinary household problems. A camera may show a delivery arriving, but someone still needs a plan for collecting it. Before leaving your Maryland home, work through these three areas and keep the instructions simple enough for another person to follow.
1. Check access and connected devices
Confirm that doors, windows and secondary entrances close and lock properly. Review who has keys or access codes, and use temporary permissions where the equipment supports them. Test cameras, alerts and other devices before the departure day rather than discovering a problem from the airport.
Protect the accounts behind those devices. The FBI recommends unique, strong passphrases, multifactor authentication and current software. Review notification settings and decide which alerts you actually need. Avoid sharing access credentials in a group message that includes people who do not need them.
2. Make the home easy to look after
Arrange mail, package and routine yard care. Pause deliveries you will not be able to receive, and ask a trusted person to check the property on an agreed schedule. Police vacation guidance also recommends waiting until you return before publicly posting travel details.
Check for existing leaks, review thermostat settings appropriate to the home and season, and leave space around equipment that needs airflow. If you are considering shutting off water or changing other systems, follow the equipment guidance and ask a qualified professional how that affects your particular home.
3. Leave a useful response plan
Provide your contact details, a backup contact and the names of any service providers you authorize. Explain where the relevant shutoffs are and what the caretaker should do if something looks wrong. Ask your insurer about any requirements that apply to the length or nature of your absence.
Finally, perform a short walkthrough with your checklist. Verify the arrangements you have made and save the instructions where you and your local contact can find them. Preparation reduces avoidable surprises; it cannot guarantee that a property will remain problem-free.