Snowbird, is your nest ready for your departure?

Are you or your

loved ones planning a

trip to the South or

West to get away from

the winter weather?

Then you need to

make sure your home

and auto are ready for

your time away. There

are many items that

are simply forgotten

or not enough attention

is placed on their

importance.

My clients tend to

wait until the last minute

and do not have a

checklist to go over to

make their time away

stress free.

Here is the checklist

we have our clients go

over before leaving.

◆ Is there an emergency

contact in place

in case something

should happen to your

home or automobile?

◆ Have you notified

the alarm company,

U.S. Postal Service

and/or newspaper carrier

of your departure?

◆ If you are going to

be gone for a considerable

amount of time,

have you thought of

having your home winterized?

All the public safety

departments within

the Grosse Pointes

offer vacation checks.

They also will ask you

if the home is alarmed,

if a pet will be left

behind, who has permission

to be on the

premises and the typeof vehicle they drive. If

you intend on having

work performed while

you are away, you

should let your public

safety depar tment

know the contractors

who will be at your

house while you are

away.

◆ Have your inground

spr inkler s

been winterized along

with your pool and/or

hot tub if you have

one?

◆ Is your patio furniture

cleaned and put in

storage?

◆ Have you made

sure all online order

packages have been

received so they are

not on your porch?

◆ Do you have someone

trusted with a key

and alarm code to visit

your property while

you are gone?

◆ Have your gutters

been cleaned to avoid

ice dams?

◆ Are all of your

exterior security lights

and door locks in

working order?

◆ Do your windows

close and lock correctly?

◆ Do you have a pet

door? If so, you need to

make sure it is locked.

And you may want to

check your chimney to

make sure there is a

screen in place to prevent

animals from

coming in.

Since you are leaving

for an extended

period of time, you will

want to make sure

your refrigerator has

been cleaned and perishable

items have

been disposed of.

We believe using an

extension cord for a

long period is never a

good idea. If you are

leaving, you will want

to consider unplugging

items to prevent

damage to them or the

possibility of a fire

while you are away.

If you have a sump

pump in your basement,

you will want to

make sure it is in operating

order and consider

a backup sump

pump in case of failure

while gone.

Check your furnace

air filter and replace it

if needed. Also, make

sure nothing is blocking

your heat vents so

heat can properly flow.

I always believe that

items and possessions

in the basement should

not sit on the floor and

if they must, have

those items placed in

plastic totes or bins to

avoid exposure t o

water and other possible

damaging issues.

Check your f loor

drains to make sure

nothing is blocking

them and always check

your washing machine

hoses for wear and

r e p l a c e them a s

needed.

Now, on to your

automobile. If you are

going to leave your car

here, you will want to

make sure all the fluids

are filled and the

gas tank is topped off,

and add a bottle of gas

l ine ant i f reeze. I t

would not be a bad

idea for someone you

trust to have a set of

keys if the car is going

to be left outside — in

case the car needs to

be moved, but also to

start it to keep it in

running order.

If you intend on leaving

your car in the

garage, remove the

battery from the vehicle

and have someone

charge the battery and

place back in the vehicle

just before your

return.

We believe these tips

will help put your mind

at ease while you are

away.

Sean J. Lane is a resident

of Grosse Pointe

Farms, and the owner

of Your Home Valet

and Clean Up Clear

Out. For more information,

call (313) 886-3330.