Prepare Your Home For Vacation

by Maribeth Lynch

Prepping Your Home for Your Summer Vacation

Thrive Real Estate Specialist Owner/Broker

Maribeth Lynch

Having recently returned home from a fantastic family vacation, I’ve found myself thinking about the fresh start I experience when I leave my house behind for a week or more. This summer, I was really organized in the days leading up to my departure. Amidst the packing and the planning, I also put my house in order in anticipation of redecorating my living room. I ordered new sofas that were delivered a few days after we returned from vacation – and it almost seemed that I was extending the vacation itself!

Leaving home provides me with a sense of rejuvenation. I always seem to be in a better frame of mind to make home improvements after I’ve been away for a while. I can see my house more clearly when I take a step away, and as a result, some of my most productive projects tend to occur immediately after I arrive home from vacation, feeling refreshed and with a new sense of purpose. I urge you to consider looking at your house with fresh eyes when you return from your summer vacation, and maybe you’ll be inspired to make some improvements. At the very least, you should find yourself able to look at your home with a new perspective upon your return.

Of course, there are also plenty of practicalities associated with leaving on vacation – particularly if you are going on a long trip or you will be far away. Here are a few considerations to tend to before you leave:

Clerical

  1. Hold mail with the post office or ask a friend or neighbor to periodically bring in mail and packages that arrive while you’re away.
  2. Make arrangements for pets. Ask a neighbor to look after the cat or book the kennel for your dog.
  3. If you’re unsure that you have airtight privacy settings on your social media accounts, refrain from advertising your absence via posts until you have returned home.
  4. Stock nonperishable provisions for your return so that an extensive trip to the grocery store is not immediately necessary; make a list of essential perishables to pick up during a quick trip to the store when you return.
  5. Notify your security company if you have a security service. You can also contact your local police department and notify them of your absence; in many communities, police are willing to patrol neighborhoods while residents are out of town.
  6. Leave emergency contact information with friend or relative and give a neighbor the key or alarm code in case of emergency.
  7. Lock the windows and doors!
  8. If you are wired to do so, monitor your home from a smart phone app.
  9. Although not strictly associated with your property, I would also urge you to contact your bank and credit card companies if you are traveling abroad so they won’t issue fraud alerts on your accounts when your bank cards are used in other countries.

Exterior

  1. Tend to the yard. Enlist a teenager from your neighborhood or hire a landscaping service to mow the lawn.
  2. Check pool pump settings and hire a pool service or ask someone you know to add water and chemicals as needed during your absence.
  3. Remove spare keys from obvious hiding places.
  4. Install motion-sensitive lights on the exterior of your home.

Interior

  1. Water houseplants and ask a friend to stop by to care for them periodically.
  2. Put lights and small appliances like radios or television sets on timers so your home will seem “lived in.”
  3. Turn up the thermostat to save on energy costs.
  4. Unplug small appliances.
  5. Turn off valves to sinks, toilets, the dishwasher, and the washing machine.
  6. Set your water heater temperature to “vacation” mode, which will cause it to run less frequently.
  7. Test your smoke detectors to make sure they are functioning.
  8. Clean out the refrigerator and finish off or toss anything that could spoil.
  9. Make sure kitchen and pantry are free of crumbs that could attract pests.
  10. Remove all trash from the house.

As a bonus, I like to clean my house before I leave so that I come home to a sparkling kitchen and spotless bathrooms, an empty dishwasher, laundered towels and clothing, and clean sheets on the beds. It makes me happier to return to a clean house so that I don’t have to dive back into chores immediately following my vacation. And once you return home, relaxed and refreshed, consider looking at your house with fresh eyes. It may just provide you with the spark of inspiration you need to make some improvements to your living space.

Bon voyage!

“Anthony’s advice and assurances during these times helped us achieve another record-breaking year, states Maribeth Lynch, Founder of Thrive Real Estate and Lamacchia Realty REALTOR®.

“When the opportunity to merge with Lamacchia arose, the timing was perfect. We knew both our clients and agents would benefit from this partnership, allowing everyone to THRIVE. Having gotten to know the leadership team at Lamacchia has made our decision to merge with them an easy one. Our values are very much aligned, and we know that offering their robust marketing and training will benefit both our clients as well as our beloved agents.”

Along with Maribeth and Rick, five REALTORS® will join Lamacchia Realty, including Briana Willander, Ashley Davidson, Whitney Andrews, Mike Andrews, and Tracey Calo. REALTORS® of Thrive are like-minded professionals who work in unison and pride themselves on local knowledge and creative problem-solving, all for the benefit of clients.
As the broker-owner of Thrive Real Estate Specialists, Maribeth has been and will continue to be devoted to serving both her clients and her community with integrity, sincerity, and a can-do attitude. Her firm welcomes opportunities to give back and be charitable in meaningful ways and Maribeth believes in the importance of service. The Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women selected her as a 2022 recipient of The Commonwealth Heroes Award, and she was a 2021 recipient of the Gratitude Project Award from the Massachusetts Association of REALTORS®.

“We are so happy to have Maribeth, Rick, and the rest of the Thrive group joining forces with the company, states Jackie Louh, Chief Operating Officer, Lamacchia Realty. “Maribeth is a well-known and respected Broker in Worcester County, and we are honored that she chose Lamacchia. We are excited to grow even more in that area and Maribeth is the perfect person to help us do just that!”

Maribeth along with the REALTORS® at Thrive Real Estate has been involved with many organizations over the years, most recently: REALTOR® Association of Central Mass- Committee Chairman, Broker/Owner Task Force, REALTOR® Association of Central Massachusetts- Board of Directors 2025, Shrewsbury Zoning Board of Appeals, Chairman, Shrewsbury Town Center Association, Founding Member, Shrewsbury Yuletide/Light the Commons, Committee Member, among many more. In addition to being involved, they also advertise and support the College of the Holy Cross where Thrive is prominently displayed on scoreboards and other places.

Lamacchia Realty’s already very aggressive marketing campaign in the region will dramatically boost the company’s market reach and help add more top-rated REALTORS® to the Shrewsbury office. The marketing plan features billboards on Route 9 and other major roadways, social media posts, postcards, newspaper ads, and much more.

All home buyers, sellers, tenants, landlords, REALTORS®, and other brokerages in the area should know that it is business as usual at the company. There will be no interruptions in service to any clients anywhere. In the weeks to come Lamacchia’s management team and staff will work with Maribeth, Rick, and all the REALTORS® at Thrive who are now Lamacchia Realtors to slowly implement Lamacchia’s suite of lead products, services, training, technology, and more.

This marks Lamacchia Realty’s ninth acquisition in Massachusetts in the past year with the prior acquisitions in Pittsfield with Home Sweet Home Real Estate, Dalton with Berkshire Dream Home, Easton with Briarwood Real Estate, Auburn with Emerson Realtors, Springfield with Sears Real Estate, Falmouth with Foley Real Estate, Fall River with Right Choice Real Estate, and Seekonk with Keystone Property Group. Lamacchia Realty is excited to bring on even more REALTORS® in MetroWest and Central Massachusetts markets in the weeks and months to come.

As a full-service, value-based brokerage, Lamacchia Realty’s mission is to empower its staff, REALTORS®, and clients to achieve success. The company provides unmatched training, systems, and technology, equipping employees with the tools they need to thrive and grow in their roles. Lamacchia Realty takes great pride in its strong culture of support, which has contributed to an impressively high retention rate. Culture is at the heart of the company, with every staff member and agent playing an integral role in maintaining and enhancing it, helping them continue to grow!

Thrive Real Estate- logo on football scoreboard as official sponsor for Holy Cross
Thrive at the Holy Cross Football Field
Thrive at Holy Cross Hockey Rink
Thrive at Holy Cross Hockey Rink

Lamacchia Realty’s already very aggressive marketing campaign in the region will dramatically boost the company’s market reach and help add more top-rated REALTORS® to the Shrewsbury office. The marketing plan features billboards on Route 9 and other major roadways, social media posts, postcards, newspaper ads, and much more.

All home buyers, sellers, tenants, landlords, REALTORS®, and other brokerages in the area should know that it is business as usual at the company.  There will be no interruptions in service to any clients anywhere. In the weeks to come Lamacchia’s management team and staff will work with Maribeth, Rick, and all the REALTORS® at Thrive who are now Lamacchia Realtors to slowly implement Lamacchia’s suite of lead products, services, training, technology, and more.

This marks Lamacchia Realty’s ninth acquisition in Massachusetts in the past year with the prior acquisitions in Pittsfield with Home Sweet Home Real Estate, Dalton with Berkshire Dream Home, Easton with Briarwood Real Estate, Auburn with Emerson Realtors, Springfield with Sears Real Estate, Falmouth with Foley Real Estate, Fall River with Right Choice Real Estate, and Seekonk with Keystone Property Group. Lamacchia Realty is excited to bring on even more REALTORS® in MetroWest and Central Massachusetts markets in the weeks and months to come.

As a full-service, value-based brokerage, Lamacchia Realty’s mission is to empower its staff, REALTORS®, and clients to achieve success. The company provides unmatched training, systems, and technology, equipping employees with the tools they need to thrive and grow in their roles. Lamacchia Realty takes great pride in its strong culture of support, which has contributed to an impressively high retention rate. Culture is at the heart of the company, with every staff member and agent playing an integral role in maintaining and enhancing it, helping us continue to grow! 

Skip to content