This story is part of Home Tips, CNET’s collection of practical advice for getting the most out of your home, inside and out. As you count down the days to your end-of-summer trip, you might find your pre-vacation giddiness is actually overshadowed by stress. There’s a heap of chores to manage before traveling: After you arrange your time out of office, you’ll have to prep your home for your absence and make sure it’s secure. Then there’s figuring out what to pack, not to mention fitting it all into your suitcase. But all those tricky logistics are so much easier to tackle once you’ve put together a comprehensive set of to-dos, along with a smart packing list.…