Make Coming Home the Best Part of Your Vacation
In exactly two weeks, my family will be on a plane headed to Tahiti! 🌴
If you know me, you probably won't be surprised to hear that I'm already thinking about packing.
Truthfully, packing has become one of my favorite parts of traveling! Over the years, I've created systems that make it incredibly easy. I keep a master packing list, travel essentials stay organized year-round, and I never feel like I'm scrambling the night before a trip.
But there's something I care about almost as much as packing...
Coming home.
Because no matter how amazing a vacation is, there comes a point when you're ready to step back into your normal routines.
And the last thing I want after walking through my front door is to be greeted by dirty dishes, laundry piles, expired food, and the overwhelming feeling that I have to recover from my vacation before I can get back to real life.
That's why I always make sure I reset our home before we leave. Let me walk you through what I do to make life easier for “Future Me”!
Why a Pre-Vacation Home Reset Matters
Most people spend months planning their vacation.
Flights.
Hotels.
Excursions.
Packing lists.
But very few people spend time planning for the moment they come home.
The reality is that returning from vacation can feel surprisingly stressful. You're unpacking, catching up on work, helping kids get settled, grocery shopping, and trying to get back into your normal routines.
But a little preparation before you leave makes that transition so much smoother! Instead of walking into chaos, you walk into a home that helps you seamlessly transition back into real life.
My 60-Minute Home Reset Checklist Before Every Vacation
1. Empty the Refrigerator
This is always the first thing I do!
I toss anything that's going to spoil while we're gone, use up leftovers over the few days before we leave, and wipe down the shelves if they need it. Coming home to mystery smells and rotten food is not the vacation souvenir anyone wants.
BONUS: It also makes grocery shopping easier because I know exactly what needs to be restocked when I return!
2. Do the Laundry
I try to leave with every load washed, folded, and put away.
Yes, I know there will be vacation laundry waiting for me when we get home - but that's exactly why I don't want old laundry still sitting in baskets.
3. Change the Sheets
After traveling, there is nothing better than climbing into freshly washed sheets your first night home!
4. Run the Dishwasher
I don't want to open the dishwasher after vacation wondering what's clean and what's dirty - I run one final load before we leave and empty it.
That way, if we use a few dishes the morning we leave, they can go straight into an empty dishwasher before we walk out the door.
5. Take Out the Trash (in every room!)
It sounds obvious...
Until you forget. 🫠
Just like returning to rotten food in the fridge, nothing ruins that "we're home!" feeling faster than discovering garbage that's been sitting for a week.
6. Put Everything Back in Its Home
I do one quick walk-through of the house.
Shoes get put away.
Blankets are folded.
Mail gets sorted.
Counters get cleared.
You don’t need to deep clean everything - just make sure everything is put back where it belongs!
7. Restock the Essentials
Running out of basics on the first day home is never fun. If we're low on toilet paper, paper towels, hand soap, or laundry detergent, I'll grab those before we leave.
“Future Me” always appreciates having those little details handled!
8. Water Plants and Prep the Pets
Whether you have someone checking on your house or not, I make sure plants are watered and pet supplies are organized before we head out.
If someone is helping while we're away, I leave everything clearly labeled so they aren't hunting for food, leashes, litter, or instructions. Good organization makes it easier for everyone!
9. Set Up an Easy First Meal
Trust me… grocery shopping is NOT the first thing you want to do when you get home from a trip. In fact, it’s not uncommon for me to already have our InstaCart order prepped for our return before we even depart!
For the times when ordering groceries on our return home isn’t an option, I'll make sure there's something simple in the freezer that's ready to heat up.
One less decision goes a long way after hours spent traveling!
10. Do a Five-Minute Surface Reset
Before we lock the door, I wipe down the kitchen counters, bathroom counters, and dining table.
It's amazing how much calmer your home feels when the first thing you see upon returning is a clean surface!
Organization Is Really About Taking Care of Your Future Self
One of my favorite parts of traveling is the adventure itself. But if I'm being honest, there's something really comforting about coming home, too. After days of living out of a suitcase, sleeping in a different bed, and being out of normal routines, walking into a home that feels calm is one of the best gifts I can give myself.
Over the years, I've realized that's what organization is really about - taking care of your future self.
Every small task you do before you leave is really an investment in the version of you that's coming home. Running one last load of laundry. Emptying the fridge. Putting things back where they belong. Changing the sheets. They may seem like little things today, but after a long travel day, they'll be the reason you can walk in, unpack, and jump back into real life instead of feeling like you're walking into another to-do list.
So before your next vacation, try asking yourself one simple question: “What will ‘Future Me’ be most thankful I did before I left?”
Spend an hour answering that question, and I promise you'll be glad you did. Because vacations eventually come to an end, but the feeling of coming home to a house that's ready to welcome you back? That's a gift you'll appreciate long after your suitcase is unpacked.
A Home That Makes Coming Home Easier
At the end of the day, organization is all about making life easier.
Yes, spending an hour resetting your home before vacation makes coming home feel so much better. But the real win is having organizing systems that make those little resets quick and manageable in the first place.
Whether that’s…
→ A color-coded closet that makes it easier to pack your suitcase
→ Labeled bins that allow you to quickly grab the toiletries you need
→ Or spending one hour resetting the house before we leave for Tahiti
It's all serving the same purpose - less decision fatigue, less stress, and more time enjoying the things that actually matter. Instead of spending the days leading up to your vacation trying to catch up on clutter, you can focus on packing your suitcase, making those last-minute memories, and getting excited for the adventure ahead. 🩵
But that doesn't just apply to vacations! The same systems that make it easier to leave for a trip also make busy school mornings, holidays, unexpected guests, and everyday life feel less stressful. THAT’S the power of an organized home.
Here at The Orderly Space, we create personalized organizing systems that help you spend less time managing your home and more time enjoying the life happening inside it. So if you're ready for a home that saves you time, energy, and stress (not just before your next vacation, but every single day!) we'd love to help. Schedule a complimentary consultation, and let's create your dream home!
