Your Verrado Departure Day Checklist for a Summer Away

Leaving a house for the summer comes down to a short list of decisions, and each one takes only a few minutes once you know it is on the list. This is the order most Verrado owners work through on the last day.

What should the thermostat say when you leave?

You want the house cool enough to spare the floors, cabinets and electronics from real heat, but warm enough that the A/C is not running flat out for empty rooms when it is one hundred degrees outside. We use 85 degrees, with the system in cool mode and the fan on auto. If your A/C company names a different target, use it and pass it along to whoever will be checking the house.

Should the water be shut off at the main?

Many owners do, because a supply line that bursts in an empty house has days or weeks to flood it. EPCOR supplies Verrado's water, and the dissolved minerals in it leave scale on fixtures and heaters over time, so it is time well spent to have the heater and the shutoff valves inspected before a long trip. If you shut it off, let your home watch team know, and they will open it briefly on each visit to run the drains. The water section of our FAQ covers the details.

What happens to the trash and the mail?

Trash and recycling service in Verrado comes from the City of Buckeye, and the city offers a service hold for residents who are away. Terms can change, so the city's utility billing office is the place to confirm the current rules before you leave. Empty both bins first and store them out of sight, because the Verrado Community Association can send a courtesy notice for a bin the street can see. For your mail, ask the post office to forward it, since a standard hold runs out long before October. We explain how that notice process works in how Verrado HOA enforcement works when nobody is home.

Where does the golf cart belong?

It belongs in an enclosed garage. Verrado's community rules keep golf carts, boats and trailers out of the driveway. Charge the cart before you go, unplug the charger or put it on a timer, and close the garage door behind you. Pack rats chew the wiring on parked carts and cars, so a few deterrents in the garage are worth setting out.

What should you leave for your home watch team?

You can leave one page listing your alarm code, how to reach the water main and the breaker box, and which companies handle your pool, pests and A/C. Add a phone number that works while you travel. We collect all of this at our first meeting at the house, and you can read how that first meeting works before you decide.