Experts Share Top Tips for Securing Your Home Before a Trip

Travel, organization, cleaning, and home safety pros offer advice on preparing your home for your next vacation.

Published on Feb. 13, 2026

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As a travel writer, the author follows a strict pre-trip checklist to ensure their home is clean, organized, and secure before leaving. To get expert advice, the author interviewed several professionals who shared their top tips for preparing a home before travel, including starting the packing process early, arranging pet care, reducing visible signs of vacancy, protecting the home from weather, meal prepping, deep cleaning the kitchen, airing out freshly cleaned spaces, decluttering visible surfaces, making the bed with fresh linens, tidying the closet, avoiding unfinished projects, using smart home tech to mirror normal routines, and thoroughly checking all doors and windows.

Why it matters

Properly preparing a home before travel can significantly reduce stress and make the return home more pleasant. It also helps maintain the home's security and appearance of being lived-in while the owner is away.

The details

The experts recommend starting the packing process about a week in advance, setting aside a dedicated packing area, and arranging pet care early. To reduce visible signs of vacancy, they suggest having a trusted friend or neighbor collect mail and packages, or putting a hold on delivery services. Protecting the home from weather includes insulating pipes, having a snow shoveling plan, and ensuring automated irrigation. Meal prepping easy-to-make meals for when you return home is also advised. Deep cleaning the kitchen, airing out freshly cleaned spaces, decluttering visible surfaces, and making the bed with fresh linens can all contribute to a calming, organized environment upon return. Tidying the closet and avoiding unfinished projects are also key. Using smart home technology to mirror normal routines and thoroughly checking all doors and windows for security are important final steps.

  • About a week before travel, start the packing process.

The players

Carroll Cartwright

The founder of Neatly & Co., an organizational design and crafting custom storage solutions company based in Houston.

Jimmy Lin

The vice president of product management at ADT.

Elizabeth Shields

The operations manager of Super Cleaning Service Louisville.

Christina Schlegel

A luxury travel advisor and owner of Bluetail Travel.

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What they’re saying

“About a week before travel, put your suitcase out. Any time you think of an item that you'll need to take, just toss it in. You can do your real packing later, but having this catchall for things you don't want to forget will alleviate some pre-departure stress.”

— Christina Schlegel, luxury travel advisor and owner of Bluetail Travel (southernliving.com)

“I also set aside a dedicated area, usually a dressing rack or a clear section of my closet, where everything I plan to take is grouped together. Seeing everything at once makes it easier to edit thoughtfully and eliminates stress.”

— Carroll Cartwright, founder of Neatly & Co. (southernliving.com)

“Travelers should always arrange pet care early; pet care pros are in demand and availability can be tight at peak travel times. Ensure that you have plenty of food and, if needed, pet medications on hand. Consider purchasing and testing an automated feeder if your pets are staying home. This is useful even if you have someone coming by.”

— Christina Schlegel, luxury travel advisor and owner of Bluetail Travel (southernliving.com)

“Letting mail or packages pile up, for example, can unintentionally signal absence in the home.”

— Jimmy Lin, vice president of product management at ADT (southernliving.com)

“Seeing a clean sink with no dishes and knowing there are no pests lurking around just gives you peace of mind.”

— Elizabeth Shields, operations manager of Super Cleaning Service Louisville (southernliving.com)

The takeaway

Properly preparing a home before travel can significantly reduce stress and make the return home more pleasant. It also helps maintain the home's security and appearance of being lived-in while the owner is away. Following expert advice on tasks like starting the packing process early, arranging pet care, reducing visible signs of vacancy, protecting the home from weather, meal prepping, deep cleaning the kitchen, and using smart home tech can ensure a smooth transition in and out of a trip.