Pre-holiday home routines

TACKLE THESE SEVEN TASKS BEFORE YOU GO AWAY, TO MAKE COMING BACK FROM VACATION A BREEZE...

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Coming back to your home after a holiday away can be a tricky transition - especially if you left in chaos after last-minute packing and a frantic search for a missing passport. But plan ahead and you can make the return a little less of a bumpy landing.

We asked experts - including the Ideal Home team - for the pre-holiday jobs and routines they put in place, from cleaning and organising to booking a grocery delivery, which help them keep their relaxed holiday vibe for as long as possible once they come home.

1 CLEAN THE HOUSE

Doing the housework may not seem like the most fun holiday prep, but you'll thank yourself for it when you return to a clean and gleaming home!

'I clean my house from top to bottom before we go away so that coming home feels like a far more pleasurable experience,' says decluttering expert Gillian Gudgeon, a member of APDO (Association of Professional Declutters and Organisers). 'Unpacking and laundering post-holiday is a pretty big task,' she continues, 'so knowing you've done everything else in the home will limit the to-do list and the stress.'

If vacuuming is the job that always slips down your to-do list, a robot vacuum could be a worthwhile investment - and it can clean your floors for you while you soak up the sun on holiday.

2 CLEAR OUT THE FRIDGE