Great idea for a newsletter!
Stop mail delievery You might provide link to USPS's on-line
"Hold Mail".
Unplug the appliances you mentioned - surge protection. For those with no surge protection, or whose surge protectors don't include phone line and/or cable line surge protection , a reminder to physically unplug those connections too.
[Water] hoses only break while on vacation Another plug for burst-resistant braided stainless steel hoses. Or, shut-off water to whole house at service-entry.
I leave the TV plugged in so I can set the built-in timer to come on for a couple of hours Verify functionality. My TVs, once powered-off, require pressing power button on TV or the remote to come back on — timer won't work.
Find someone trustworthy to walk through house every 1-2 days. Ask them to water house plants, if any.For the extra-cautious, turn off natural gas at the meter (unless of course, hot water heater/furnace will remain on.)
Make sure someone has itinerary and contact phone numbers (cell, hotel etc).
If foreign travel, or uncharacteristically heavy credit card usage anticipated, might want to inform credit card company.
If any pets left behind for neighbor to care for, or they're left with a boarding service, be sure to provide veterinarian's name.
In any given week, our household might have a UPS delivery. Put such purchases on hold prior to vacation, or alert neighbor to check for packages left at front door.
If traveling by car, confirm you've got current registration and insurance card in the glove box (or wherever).
Don't forget charger for cell phone and/or digital camera (I speak from experience).
The only time I use this feature is while on vacation ... remote retrieval of answering machine messages. Review the procedure and the access code if you don't remember how, so messages can be monitored while on the road.
Assure the kids you
will return in two weeks.