A weekend away is a small trip with an outsized list of things that can go wrong. The milk turns. The bins ripen quietly in the sun. The basil crisps on the windowsill and the cat sits by the front door wondering where everyone has gone.
None of it is complicated, and most of it can be handled in the hour before you leave. What follows is the order that works: work down the list and you can shut the front door knowing the house will be roughly as you left it.
Security first, because it's the bit you can't fix from a hotel
Walk the house and check every window, not just the obvious ones. Small bathroom windows, the one above the extension roof, the back bedroom that gets opened for ten minutes on a warm evening. If a window has a vent setting, make sure it isn't still open on the latch. Any door with a keyhole near a letterbox should have the key taken out and moved away from the door; a key left sitting in the lock is easy to reach with the right bit of wire.
Spare keys go to a neighbour you trust, not under the mat, the plant pot or the shed. Tell one or two people where you're going and when you're back, and ask them to keep an eye out. If you have a drive, a neighbour's car on it for the weekend does more good than a lamp on a timer.
- Lamps on plug timers, one downstairs and one upstairs, set to come on in the evening.
- Cancel the milk and the papers, and hold any parcels.
- Keep travel dates off social media until you're home.
- Set the alarm if you have one, and check it's actually armed before you leave.
Home insurance policies often set conditions about locks, alarms and how long a property can be left empty. If you're unsure whether your cover applies, ring your insurer before you go rather than after.
Fridge, freezer and the food that won't wait
The trick is to eat the fridge down before you leave, so plan your last meal at home around whatever needs using. Anything opened, cut or already a bit tired goes in the bin or to a neighbour: opened milk, cooked rice, sliced salad, that half tub of hummus. Bread and leftover portions freeze well, and soft herbs can go into an ice cube tray with a splash of water.
Don't switch the fridge off for a weekend. It's more hassle than it saves, and the seals and thermostat will be fine. For longer absences, empty it, clean it, and leave the door propped open so it doesn't smell. Before you go, fill the gaps in the fridge and freezer with bottles or tubs of water; a full appliance holds its temperature better and copes more easily if the door gets opened or the power blips. Check the freezer door is properly shut — a freezer left ajar for three days is a genuinely unpleasant thing to come home to.
Bins, dishes and the small things nobody wants to greet them
Empty every bin, not just the kitchen one. Bathroom bins, bedroom bins, the food waste caddy, the little bin by the desk where a banana skin has been sitting since Tuesday. Rinse jars and tins before they go in the recycling; food residue draws flies and, by Sunday, a smell that takes a while to shift.
Don't leave bin bags outside the back door — foxes, cats and gulls will have them open within the hour. If collection day falls while you're away, ask a neighbour to put the bins out and bring them back in. A bin left on the pavement for days is a fairly clear signal that nobody's home.
Run the dishwasher before you leave and leave the door slightly open to dry. Wash up anything in the sink. A bowl and a mug left soaking for three days is a small job that manages to feel enormous when you get back.
Plants: keep them alive without drowning them
Water properly on the morning you leave, until water runs out of the bottom of the pot, rather than giving everything a quick splash. Move pots out of direct sun and away from radiators, and group plants together so they share a little humidity. The plants that suffer most over a weekend are the thirsty ones in small pots on a hot windowsill, so those are the ones to move.
Standing plants in a tray of water works for some, but days of soggy roots will rot them. For longer trips, self-watering spikes or a neighbour with clear instructions are better. Leave it simple: "half a mug each, Tuesday and Friday, don't touch the orchid."
Pets, whether they're coming or staying
If your pet is travelling with you, check the carrier, the lead and the food, and make sure the microchip contact details are up to date in case they slip out somewhere unfamiliar. If they're staying behind, confirm the sitter or cattery booking in writing and leave a key with whoever is coming in. Cats in particular need someone to look in daily; a giant bowl of biscuits is not a substitute for a person checking that all is well.
Leave a note on the kitchen table with the vet's number, feeding times, medication, and any hiding places or quirks worth knowing. If your pet is unwell or on medication, speak to your vet before you travel rather than leaving it to chance.
Getting the house ready for UK weather
Check the forecast before you pack the car, because a weekend of wind and rain needs a few minutes of preparation that a mild weekend doesn't.
- Wind and rain: bring in cushions and small pots, tie down or move the trampoline and the bins, latch the gate, and check the downpipe near the back door isn't blocked with leaves.
- Cold snaps: leave the heating on a low background setting rather than switching it off entirely, and on very cold nights leave internal doors open so warm air can circulate. Turn off the outside tap and disconnect the hose.
- Heat: close blinds and curtains on the sunny side of the house, and unplug the things that don't need to be on.
- Any season: unplug televisions, computers and anything sensitive if storms are forecast, and know where your stopcock is. A weekend doesn't need the water off, but a dripping tap should be fixed before it becomes a ceiling.
The last twenty minutes
Walk the house room by room rather than trusting your memory. It takes less time and catches the things you'd otherwise think about somewhere on the M5.
- Windows and doors closed, latched and locked, including the one you opened while you were packing.
- Hob, oven, grill, iron, hair straighteners and chargers off and unplugged at the wall.
- Taps off, no drips, washing machine not mid-cycle.
- Heating on its low background setting, hot water on its usual timer.
- Kitchen caddy and bathroom bin emptied, dishwasher finished.
- Spare key with the neighbour, sitter's key handed over.
- Timers set, alarm armed, and one last look at the fridge and the back door.
Then send your neighbour a quick message to say you're off and when you're due back, and go. Almost everything on this list can be sorted by phone if you forget it — the point is simply not to spend the weekend wondering whether you locked the back door.
Photo: Kindel Media / Pexels
