Lots of people find that the best way to go on vacations is when there is some sort of timeshare lodging involved. Perhaps you own the timeshare, or maybe one of your friends or family does and they’ve given it to you for a short time as a vacation gift. Whatever your situation, many find that when they buy a timeshare they enjoy better accommodations than they would get at a hotel, for sure!

But, there are still some things that you should check right upon arrival, first for safety reasons and then after that for practical reasons. Five of these quick safety considerations are listed below, and include checking electrical outlets, cleaning the refrigerator, looking for water leaks, seeking out weird smells, and making sure parking is organized.

Check the Electrical Outlets

The last thing you want while on vacation is to get shocked by an electrical outlet, or have something that you plug in cause a fire! So buzz through all the outlets and make sure there aren’t any loose wires or obvious burn marks. If there are, call an electrician immediately and make arrangements to do a safety check ASAP.

Clean Out the Refrigerator

Depending on how often the timeshare is used, there may be things left in the refrigerator, or it may be completely empty. However, if you don’t want any chance of getting some food related sickness or illness, throw everything away in there that might be old, and sanitize that refrigerator with a cleaning product until all forms of gunk have been cleared away.

Look for Water Leaks

Also, right when you get to your timeshare, walk around and look for water leaks. For one thing, water leaks cause mold, and for another, you don’t want things like drippy faucets or leaking ceiling either keeping you awake at night because of the sound, or damaging anything that you may have with you. If you don’t find any leaks, call the owner or a plumber right away and get it handled.

Search For Weird Smells

Weird smells can often accompany places you aren’t familiar with. Search them out and determine if they are potentially from mold, pets, dust, weather, or food. Do a quick cleaning if you have to, but it’s just smart to be sure to identify anything that could potentially cause a problem later.

Handle Parking Organization and Permits

Finally, in many places where there are timeshares, there are also parking restrictions. If you don’t have the right permits or permission, your vehicle can get towed mighty quickly, so talk to any managers or parking enforcement before you arrive to be sure that there won’t be any confusion once you arrive.