You've booked the flights, sorted the insurance, and worked out which three pairs of shoes are coming with you. The house is locked and someone's checking the post. Job done?
Not quite! For anyone who owns a home somewhere with real winters or heavy spring rain, the biggest risk while you're away isn't burglary. It's water. A blocked gutter or a slope that runs the wrong way can do more damage in one storm than you'd want to come home to, and when nobody's there to notice the first drip, a small problem has three months to grow.
Here's the outdoor prep list worth running through before any long trip.
When you're home, you spot things. A puddle by the back door. A damp smell in the basement after a heavy rain. You deal with it and move on.
When you're away for twelve weeks, nobody's watching. Water that pools against your foundation finds cracks, soaks into basement walls and, in cold climates, freezes and widens those cracks further. Leave in late winter and you'll miss the snowmelt entirely, which is exactly when most basements flood.
The fix is to make sure water leaves your property on its own before you do.
This is the one most people skip, and it matters most. The ground around your house should fall away from the walls so rain and meltwater run off towards the street or the back of the lot, not towards your basement. A common rule of thumb is a drop of about 15 cm (6 inches) over the first 3 metres (10 feet) out from the foundation.
How to check:
If you're not sure what you're looking at, start with a free yard grading and drainage check. It walks you through the signs one question at a time and tells you whether it's something you can fix with a few bags of soil or a bigger job for a professional. Do this a couple of months before departure, not the week before, so there's time to sort it.
Clean the gutters (eavestroughs, if you're Canadian) and check every downspout. Each one should empty at least a metre or two away from the house. If it drops water right beside the foundation, add an extension or a splash block. They cost very little and they're one of the best-value fixes on this list.
If your trip covers autumn, you'll miss leaf fall. Consider gutter guards, or ask your house-sitter or a neighbour to clear them once while you're gone.
If you'll be away over winter:
If your basement has a sump pump, test it before you go: pour a bucket of water into the pit and make sure it switches on and drains. For a long trip, a battery backup or a water-alarm sensor that sends an alert to your phone is cheap peace of mind.
The best gadget in the world won't move a downspout that's been knocked loose. Ask a neighbour, friend or house-sitter to walk around the outside after any big storm and send you a photo of the basement. Give them the number of a plumber and leave the shut-off valves labelled.
The best part of a long trip is the bit where you don't think about home at all. A weekend of yard and drainage prep before you leave is what buys you that.
Here's the outdoor prep list worth running through before any long trip.
Why water is the real threat
When you're home, you spot things. A puddle by the back door. A damp smell in the basement after a heavy rain. You deal with it and move on.
When you're away for twelve weeks, nobody's watching. Water that pools against your foundation finds cracks, soaks into basement walls and, in cold climates, freezes and widens those cracks further. Leave in late winter and you'll miss the snowmelt entirely, which is exactly when most basements flood.
The fix is to make sure water leaves your property on its own before you do.
Step 1: Check which way your yard slopes
This is the one most people skip, and it matters most. The ground around your house should fall away from the walls so rain and meltwater run off towards the street or the back of the lot, not towards your basement. A common rule of thumb is a drop of about 15 cm (6 inches) over the first 3 metres (10 feet) out from the foundation.
How to check:
- Watch it rain: Pick a wet day before you go, put on a jacket and walk around the house. Where does the water go? Where does it sit?
- Use a level and a straight board: Lay a long board on the ground pointing away from the wall, put a spirit level on top, and see which way the bubble leans.
- Look for the tell-tale signs: Soil that has settled into a dip next to the foundation, a garden bed that's built up higher than the lawn, or a patio that tilts towards the house.
If you're not sure what you're looking at, start with a free yard grading and drainage check. It walks you through the signs one question at a time and tells you whether it's something you can fix with a few bags of soil or a bigger job for a professional. Do this a couple of months before departure, not the week before, so there's time to sort it.
Step 2: Gutters and downspouts
Clean the gutters (eavestroughs, if you're Canadian) and check every downspout. Each one should empty at least a metre or two away from the house. If it drops water right beside the foundation, add an extension or a splash block. They cost very little and they're one of the best-value fixes on this list.
If your trip covers autumn, you'll miss leaf fall. Consider gutter guards, or ask your house-sitter or a neighbour to clear them once while you're gone.
Step 3: The things that freeze
If you'll be away over winter:
- Shut off and drain outdoor taps, using the indoor shut-off valve if you have one.
- Disconnect and store hoses: a hose left attached can trap water in the tap and split the pipe.
- Blow out the irrigation system if you have one. A landscaper can do it in an hour.
- Leave the heating on low, never off.
Step 4: The sump pump and a backup plan
If your basement has a sump pump, test it before you go: pour a bucket of water into the pit and make sure it switches on and drains. For a long trip, a battery backup or a water-alarm sensor that sends an alert to your phone is cheap peace of mind.
Step 5: Leave the yard tidy, not perfect
- Mow one last time and leave the grass slightly longer than usual if you're going in summer, so it shades its own roots.
- Trim branches hanging over the roof or the power line.
- Put away anything that can blow around in a storm: patio cushions, bins, garden furniture.
- Arrange lawn care if you'll be gone in the growing season. An overgrown lawn tells the whole street that nobody's home.
Step 6: Line up a person, not just a plan
The best gadget in the world won't move a downspout that's been knocked loose. Ask a neighbour, friend or house-sitter to walk around the outside after any big storm and send you a photo of the basement. Give them the number of a plumber and leave the shut-off valves labelled.
The payoff
The best part of a long trip is the bit where you don't think about home at all. A weekend of yard and drainage prep before you leave is what buys you that.
Check the slope, sort the gutters, drain the taps, and then go and enjoy your three months. The house will still be dry when you get back! (Photo credit: Clay Banks)
