It's hard to believe the summer is here and moving along quickly, but some of us still have big vacation plans before school starts! Are you planning to travel in July and August? Whether you’re planning on traveling overseas or to a nearby beach town, we have helpful tips on how to prepare your home before your fun begins.
Light Your Home: Prevent the potential of burglary by creating the illusion that someone is home. Try leaving on the front porch light and a few lamps for short visits or invest in automatic timers for longer vacations. Don’t forget to alert your home-security service that you’ll be away.
Adjust the Thermostat: Either turn off your air-conditioning or turn it up to save on electricity. This is one of the most common things people forget to do! It will definitely save you some money in the long run!
Stop the Mail: While you’re gone, don’t forget to stop the mail! Most of the time this is the last thing you remember to do. Stopping the mail is another good way to make your home look occupied so packages don't start to pile up.
Ask a Friend to Check in: It's always a good idea to leave a spare key with a friend or neighbor, just in case anything happens you want someone you trust to have access to your home for things you forgot to do!
Trim the Yard: One of the biggest giveaways that someone is on vacation for a long period of time is an untrimmed yard. Go ahead and give your yard a good trim before you head out. Also, consider paying a teenager in your neighborhood to mow your grass if you’re going on a long vacation.
The Fridge: Clean it out. This is probably our least favorite chore, but if there is something that can potentially go bad while you’re away- go ahead and get rid of it. You will thank us later when you don’t come home to a moldy, smelly fridge! (TIP: Don’t forget to give your kitchen sink a good cleaning also! It will stop anything from growing while you’re away.)
Do the Laundry: No one wants to come home after a long vacation and do laundry, but it's inevitable when you’re traveling. So save yourself a load and go ahead and do all your laundry- that way upon return all you have to wash are the clothes you used on the trip! While you’re at it, go ahead and change your sheets too. There is nothing more relaxing than coming home to a tidy home and a made, clean bed! You'll thank us later! :)
Breakfast anyone? Chances are you haven’t done any grocery shopping due to your upcoming trip and it won't be the first thing on your mind when you get home. We advise you to have breakfast items that will hold throughout your trip. Cereal, coffee, Jimmy Dean breakfast sandwiches, etc. will all be a welcome treat the day after vacation when you don’t have anything else and just want to take a second to relax. 
So Fresh and Clean: Before you head out on your next adventure, buy some scented plugins to keep your home smelling fresh and clean. We bet it will be a welcome smell when you’re finally home sweet home. We love scents like April Showers, Lavender Vanilla, or Clean Linen. They really make your space feel “homey.”
Do you have tips you’d like to share? What are your must-do tasks before you head out on a vacation?
If you're looking for a place to call home, check out our 90+ neighborhoods throughout the South East. Locations in Charlotte, NC, Raleigh, NC, Greensboro Area, NC, Columbia, SC, Greenville, SC, Charleston, SC, Richmond, VA, and Atlanta, GA!
We get it. The joy of moving into a new home comes with the pain of the actual move. If moving has you stressed out, we have some tips to help make this task as painless as possible!
As they say, home is where your Mom is! We truly believe all moms deserve a space they love and that’s perfect for their personalities. Let’s talk about Mom’s must-haves in a new home!
This year, in honor of Earth Day 2019, we want to celebrate the butterfly and share ways to attract them to your garden! Butterflies are one of our favorite insects (we don’t have many). If there is such a thing as a perfect bug, then the butterfly is at the top of the list. They help pollinate plants and they don’t sting or bite! And, their story of metamorphosis is inspiring to all of us who have felt like a caterpillar at some point in our lives.
