If you’re a winter visitor in Arizona, you’re typically ready to return to cooler climes sometime during the months of March – May. Because of the severe heat and monsoon storms here, be sure to prepare as you button up your home for several months.  Here is a handy checklist to help you in the process.

1-2 WEEKS BEFORE LEAVING

• Arrange for your mail and regular deliveries to be stopped or forwarded.
• Notify your telephone, Internet service provider or satellite TV provider to put your service(s) on hold.
• Notify your HOA (if you have one) about your departure date and when you’ll be returning.
• Arrange for storage of valuables that you won’t be taking with you for the summer (e.g. – jewelry and important documents).
• Begin cleaning out the refrigerator, consuming leftovers, and coordinating the effort with trash and recycling pickup.
• Trim any trees and bushes in the yard, coordinating with trash pick up before you leave.
• Turn off the water heating system on a hut tub, but leave the filtering system on.  Do not drain the hot tub since the heat will damage it when empty.
• Remove any standing water in the yard from items such as fountains, bird baths, kiddie pools, etc. If you have a fountain, either empty it and turn it off or leave the water circulating to avoid mosquito problems.

1-2 DAYS BEFORE LEAVING

• Replace back-up batteries in fire alarms, automatic watering systems, thermostats, security systems.
• Remove chairs, furniture and decor from your patio or yard. Anything that’s cloth, plastic or wood will be damaged by the summer heat if you leave it outside.
• Seal up non-refrigerated products like cereals, grains, boxed foods, baking products and pet foods in plastic bags or containers with tightly sealed lids to keep bugs and moisture out.
• If you will be turning the refrigerator off while you are gone, empty it. Leave the doors open while you are gone for circulation.
• If you’ll be leaving the refrigerator on while you are gone, toss any foods that will spoil. You can keep items like condiments and water in the refrigerator. A working refrigerator that is nearly empty uses more energy, so add bottles of water. Empty the ice tray and turn off the automatic ice maker.
• If you have a soft water system or reverse osmosis water system, determine if any action is necessary on your part before leaving.
• If you are leaving a car in the garage, disconnect the battery. You might even want to cover the vehicle to protect it from dust.
• If you have a golf cart, put water in the battery.
• Remove propane tanks and combustible/flammable chemicals from the garage.
• Even if you will be turning off the main water valve to the house, you can still water the plants in the yard. Set your irrigation timer appropriately for summer heat so all your shrubs and trees aren’t dead when you return.
• Whether you water the yard or not, weeds will grow. Consider a yard care service to maintain your yard while you are gone. Make sure it is a company that you know and trust — obviously the workers will know that you aren’t living in the home.
• If you have a pool, arrange for a pool service to handle the maintenance while you are away.
• Arrange for exterior pest control while you are gone.
• Got houseplants? They probably won’t be alive when you return, so either lend them to a neighbor or take them up north with you!
• Provide a key to the house and any external gates, as well as your contact information, to a neighbor or relative who lives nearby.

BEFORE YOU LOCK UP AND LEAVE

• Unplug the appliances, entertainment units, computers — everything. The lightning from our summer monsoon storms can wreak havoc with electrical equipment.
• Leave large buckets or tubs of water in each room for moisture.
• Turn off the air conditioner, or set the thermostat if you’ll be leaving the A/C on. How to decide? Some people turn off the A/C totally. Some leave it on but at a high temperature, like 90 or 95. Your decision here has to to with the items being left in the house. Is there artwork that you don’t want to dry out in the heat? Does your security system only work at a particular temperature? Do you leave your wine collection in the house?
• If you have natural gas, turn off the gas at the main valve.
• Flush all toilets and run all faucets.
• Turn off the water to the house at the main valve. Drain any remaining water from the faucets, long shower head extensions and such.
• Turn off ceiling fans, indoor and out. Sometimes we forget to look up before we leave the house!
• Leave all the interior doors open so the air can circulate inside the house.
• Close all the blinds and drapes to keep as much heat out of the house as possible.
• Store any candles in the refrigerator (if you are leaving it on) or put them in the coolest, darkest part of the house.
• Set your call forwarding on your land line if you use it.
• Open the doors to the washer and dryer, the dishwasher, and any other appliance that typically seals up. Put a few spoonfuls of vegetable oil in the dishwasher and in the garbage disposal so the seals don’t disintegrate in the heat.
• Unplug the garage door opener.
• Turn the water heater off.
• Ask a neighbor to check every couple of days to remove any fliers, phone books, packages or other items that may be tossed into your driveway or left by your front door.
• Consider hiring a trusted neighbor or a professional company to stop at the house periodically to check for leaks inside and out, walk the house, visit after monsoon activity to check for storm damage, etc.