Looking after your home and post while you are away keeps your property secure and avoids the tell-tale signs of an empty house. A little arranging before you go protects your home and gives you peace of mind. This guide explains how to look after your home and post while you are away. Sort these things before you travel, alongside your wider home preparations, so your home is secure and cared for while you enjoy your holiday.
Why it matters
Looking after your home and post while away matters for security and practicality: an empty home with mounting post signals that no one is in, which can attract burglars, and a build-up of deliveries is a nuisance to return to. Understanding that your home's security and the impression it gives while you are away are worth managing, rather than leaving to chance, encourages you to make simple arrangements. A little effort to keep your home looking cared-for and secure protects it during your absence.
Stop or redirect your post
Deal with your post so it does not pile up visibly, which signals an empty home, by pausing deliveries where possible, redirecting it, or arranging collection. A visible build-up of mail is both a security risk and a nuisance. Our guide on preparing your home before a holiday covers this among other jobs. Arranging for your post to be held, redirected or collected while you are away keeps it from accumulating in view, improving security and saving you from returning to an overwhelming pile of mail.
Ask a neighbour to collect it
A simple option is to ask a trusted neighbour or friend to collect your post and any deliveries regularly, keeping them out of sight and your home looking occupied. This also means someone is checking on your home. Having a reliable person pop by to gather your mail and parcels not only manages your post but adds a human eye on your property. A neighbour collecting your post is an easy, effective way to both deal with mail and keep your home looking lived-in while you are away.
Keep your home looking occupied
Beyond post, keep your home looking occupied to deter burglars, using timer switches for lights, keeping the exterior tidy, and avoiding obvious signs of absence. A lived-in look is a strong deterrent. Our guide on preparing your home covers security in detail. Making your home appear occupied, through lighting timers and a tidy, normal-looking exterior, discourages opportunist burglars who target homes that obviously sit empty, so combine managing your post with these wider measures to keep your home looking lived-in.
Leave a key with someone you trust
Leave a key with a trusted neighbour, friend or family member, so they can check on your home, deal with the post and any deliveries, and respond to anything unexpected. A keyholder is invaluable if a problem arises. Giving a trusted person access to your home, along with your contact details, means someone can look in, handle issues, and reach you if needed. Having a keyholder who can check on things and act if necessary provides real reassurance and practical help while you are away.
Manage deliveries and parcels
Avoid having parcels delivered while you are away, as they can sit on the doorstep signalling an empty home or be stolen, so pause online orders or have them sent elsewhere or collected. Managing deliveries is part of home security. Holding off on deliveries during your trip, or arranging for them to go to a neighbour or collection point, prevents parcels piling up visibly or going missing. Thinking ahead about any expected deliveries, and avoiding doorstep parcels while away, protects both your purchases and your home's security.
Deal with the bins
Sort your bins before you go, putting them out if collection falls during your trip and asking a neighbour to bring them back, or otherwise managing them, as bins left out or overflowing signal absence. Bins left out for a long time suggest no one is home. Dealing with your bins, and asking someone to handle collection day if needed, keeps your home looking normal and avoids the giveaway of bins sitting out for the whole trip, which is a small but worthwhile detail in keeping up appearances.
Look after plants
Arrange for any plants to be watered while you are away, as houseplants and garden plants may suffer over a longer trip without care. A neighbour, friend or family member can help. Our guide on preparing your home mentions plant care. Making sure your plants will be looked after, whether through a helper or self-watering measures, means they survive your absence. For a longer holiday especially, sorting plant watering avoids returning to wilted or dead plants, so include it among the things to arrange before you go.
Consider pets too
If you have pets, their care is a major consideration that goes hand in hand with home arrangements, whether through a sitter who also watches your home or separate arrangements. Our guide on what to do with your pets while you are away covers this. Considering how your pets and home care fit together, such as an in-home pet sitter who also keeps your home occupied and collects post, can be efficient. Sorting pet and home care in a joined-up way, where possible, covers both important areas while you are on holiday.
Check in periodically
If possible, arrange to be able to check in on your home while away, whether through your keyholder updating you, or any home monitoring you have. Knowing things are fine gives peace of mind. Having a way to hear that your home is secure and any post is being managed, such as a neighbour who can contact you, lets you relax on holiday. Being able to check in, or be told if there is a problem, means you are not left wondering about your home, which adds to your peace of mind while away.
Combine with your home preparation
Treat looking after your home and post as part of your wider home preparation, alongside securing the property, sorting appliances and the rest. Our guide on preparing your home before a holiday covers the full picture. Tackling post and home care together with your other pre-holiday home jobs, rather than in isolation, ensures nothing is missed and your home is fully prepared. Combining these arrangements into your overall home preparation means you leave with your property secure, cared for and looking occupied throughout your trip.
Enjoy peace of mind
The point of all these arrangements is peace of mind, so that you can relax on holiday knowing your home is secure, your post is handled, and someone can act if needed. A well-prepared home lets you switch off. Our guide on the before-you-go checklist fits this into your wider preparation. Taking care of your home and post before you leave means you are not worrying about your property while away, which lets you enjoy your holiday fully. The reassurance of knowing everything at home is sorted is well worth the small effort beforehand.
In short
To look after your home and post while away, stop, redirect or have a neighbour collect your post so it does not pile up, and keep your home looking occupied with timers and a tidy exterior. Leave a key with someone you trust, manage deliveries and bins, and arrange plant and pet care. Check in periodically if you can, and treat it all as part of your wider home preparation. These simple steps keep your home secure and cared for while you holiday.
Find more in our Packing & Before You Go guides.