7 fuss-free ways to prepare your home for going on holiday

There is nothing quite like jetting off on an amazing two week holiday, but if you're worried about what will be waiting for you when you get back try a few of our simple tricks. From security to taking care of plants, here's 5 ways to prepare your home before going on holiday.

1. Security
Apart from the obvious, i.e, making sure all doors and windows are secure there are a few simple ways to deter theives. Use timer switches, they can create the illusion of occupancy. It's best to set a few up to turn lights and radios on and off at certain times.

2. Garden
Leave your lawn slightly longer on the last cut a day or two before you go away. This will allow the grass to retain more moisture and not actively encourage as much growth as lower mowing that could also make the lawn turn yellow. Soak your plants with water when you get home or install a simple water dripper system that can be attached to an outdoor tap on a battery powered timer. These are low cost and widely available from garden centres.

3. Indoor plants
Move house plants into shady positions or away from direct sun and sit on an old wet towel in the bath or a sink to act as a reservoir that will slowly allow the plant to take up water over a number of days.

Dead head hanging baskets and particularly annual flowering plants such as summer bedding so that the plants produce plenty of new flowers when you return home. If you are growing your own fruit and vegetables harvest as much as you can and give produce to friends or fill the freezer.

4.Post
If you are away for a long period of time remember to stop any post arriving. Having mountains of papers and letters piling up is a giveaway that no-one is home. It's worth calling up your local newsagents to ask them to put your newspaper delivery on hold
during the dates of your trip. Ask a neighbour if they could push everything through the letterbox to avoid it piling up.

5. Speak to friendly neighbour
Why not ask a friendly neighbour to keep an eye on your pad? If you can afford it, and have someone
willing, a house sitter is even better.

6. Take care of your pets
Obviously pets need to be cared for when you are away, but it's worth stocking up on food and treats to ensure whoever is feeding them won't run out. If you're setting up a food timer make sure you've tested it out beforehand - you don't want your moggies going hungry.

7. Leave the house tidy
As if you don't have enough to do to when you come back from holiday, having to unpack the suitcases and do all the washing. The best thing for avoiding post holiday stress is to tidy your house before you go. It'll make home feel 100% more welcoming, too.