Vacation Property Walkthrough: Maintaining a Vacation Home

Since you’ll be absent some (or most) of the time, it’s important to make plans to take care of your home – whether it’s in the U.S. or abroad. If it’s a condo, the maintenance responsibilities for the building, grounds and common areas will already be taken care of by the condominium association. For most types of properties, however, you’ll need to hire someone (or a company) to keep an eye on the interior and exterior of the property and manage the everyday maintenance responsibilities (such as lawn and pool care) as well as unexpected repairs and emergencies (such as a flooded unit or a leaky roof).

A property management firm can provide home-watch services that may include:

• Weekly visits to the home to check the condition of the interior and exterior.
• Running the water and flushing toilets, checking appliances, bringing in mail/newspapers and watering plants.
• Replacing air filters, light bulbs and the like, as needed.
• Looking for and identifying any problems, such as leaky faucets and unexpected guests (think: squirrels in the attic).
• Arranging for and oversight of repair and maintenance services.
• Housecleaning services before and after owner and guest/renter visits.
• Home set up (arrival services) for owner visits, including adjusting the thermostat, turning on the water, turning on the hot water heater, wood in the fireplace, snow removal, etc.
• Departure services, including making sure all doors and windows are locked, adjusting the thermostat, garbage/recycling removal, winterizing, etc.
• Concierge services, such as dining reservations or concert tickets.
• Acting as local point of contact for alarm systems.

Although property management services add to the home's monthly expenses, it can be worth the cost in the long run since the property will be well-cared for, and any problems can be quickly identified and remedied. Leaky plumbing that’s caught right away, for example, may be relatively easy to fix. Left alone for a while, that small leak could mean replacing ceilings, furnishings and flooring, not to mention costly mold remediation.