The summer holidays have flown by and for many, it will soon be time to pack everything up and return home. For some, this means leaving behind a holiday home in Spain and returning to another country, but before doing so, it's important to leave your holiday home in the best condition for your next visit or if you plan to rent it out when you're not using it. Let's have a look at some quick tips from the experts at Habitissimo, so that you can give your holiday home in Spain the necessary TLC before returning home.
Tidy up
If you have storage space, it's a good idea to tidy up and store as many objects as possible. Decorative items and ornaments are going to accumulate dust when you're away, so the best thing to do is to remove them from furniture, worktops and even walls.
Moving on to the terrace or garden, you should also put away and protect both the furniture and the awning or pergola. And in the kitchen, it's best to keep everything in the pantry, making sure, of course, that you don't leave any perishable food behind.
Give the house a good clean
This is an essential task that we all try to avoid. However, keep in mind that it is much better to do it now that you are well rested than when you return next summer, for example, when all you will want to do is relax after months of work and stress.
Give furniture, floors, walls, windows and doors a good once-over. If you're on holiday with your family and you're all working together, a good general clean won't take long. And, in case the house is going to be closed for many months, cover the furniture with old sheets, when you come back you will only have to remove them.
Pay a little more attention to appliances
The cooker, oven, fridge and washing machine can be a real source of odours and mould if you close up your holiday home for months without cleaning them thoroughly. Make sure they are free of grease, dirt and moisture, while it's best to leave the fridge and freezer unplugged with the doors slightly open.
The same attention should also be paid to the barbecue in the garden, if you have one. Make sure it is free of grease and dirt before you leave.
Wash and store textiles
Wash bed linen, towels, pillowcases, curtains and even the cushions of the patio chairs and store them well in cupboards or in the hot press. This means that when you come back to your holiday home, you just need to take them out and they'll be ready to use.
And before you close the house for good until the next summer, it's important to let the mattresses air well. Then cover them with an old quilt or sheet to protect them from dust.
Maintenance checks
Before leaving your holiday home this summer, it is important that you turn off the main power switch and close all water and electricity taps. It's also a good idea to give your taps and sockets a little once-over. If any of them have given you any problems during the summer, it is best not to close the house without having fixed them.
If your holiday home located in a cold area or an area that gets cold in the winter, also make sure outside taps are suitably looked after, tidy up hoses and protect the pipes from frost. A burst pipe can complicate things when you return in the winter or next summer.
If you follow these simple steps to keep your holiday home perfectly tidy and protected in the off season, all that's left is to make sure the windows are closed and that the doors are locked. If you want to make sure you house is also protected from squatters and illegal occupants, you should also check out our simple guide.