Managing Home Maintenance Costs

Your about to go on vacation and wondering what you need to do about your home while you are away. We put together Vacant Home Management Checklists that you can use to decide what you need to do about your home depending on were you are going and how long you be away. the home in the picture is another example of a home that is vacant and has been boarded up. Someone needs to check on this home also to make sure that nothing is being damaged to leaking water etc.

This is a check list you should consider if you plan to leave your home unoccupied for any length of time. You should take into account both home maintenance issues, home monitoring and home security issues while you are absent

Home Maintenance

Home maintenance takes into account items that might need repair after storms, lawn care, snow clearing etc. Monitoring is really all about peace of mind. Knowing that someone is checking your home on a regular basis to make sure everything is ok and then advising you of their visit. Home security covers items to make sure that your home does not advertise that you are not home making it attractive to thieves.

Home security is very important to everyone. Not only do you risk losing your value able possessions, many people feel that their personal space has been violated if their home has been broken into. Protect your home by following a few common sense steps, increase your security and avoid leaving your home as an inviting place to visit by burglars.

While it it is not all inclusive, it is a good start and you can add your own personal items to this list or check with local companies for additional security items to be aware of to keep your home secure.

Vacant Home Management Checklists

• • Arrange for  summer maintenance services lawn, shrubs, garden
  • Turn off the main water intake to avoid frozen pipes in the winter if the furnace does not run
  • Shut off your water heater to save energy and to avoid it boiling dry if you turn off the water

• • Turn off all outside water taps
  • Shut off the main water valve in your home
  • Turn off all taps to things such as dishwashers and clothes washers
  • Run the water once a month, flush toilets to avoid toilets running dry from evaporation, run water in all sinks for the same reason
  • Disconnect all electronic items to reduce power requirements and protect devices from electrical surges (Note: only unplug the refrigerator if it is empty)
  • Arrange for yard maintenance in the growing seasons
  • Arrange for plant watering inside and out
  • Hire pool or hot tub maintenance if required
  • Contract Snow clearance in the winter – driveway and walkways
  • Arrange with professional property manager/ house sitter to watch over your house

Home Monitoring

• Check with your insurance company before leaving your home vacant to determine frequency of visits that are required to maintain your coverage
• Make arrangements for someone to visit the home regularly
• Your insurance company may want daily visits and a written report
• Arrange with professional property manager/ house sitter to watch over your house

Home Security

• Install timers to make the house appear to be lived in
  
• Advise your alarm company of your absence and provide a contact to call in an emergency
• Advise neighbors and close friends of your absence
  

• Provide an itinerary with phone numbers to neighbors or a house sitter to contact you with any emergencies including your cell phone and email
  
• Provide Insurance and any other emergency numbers to the person managing your home
  
• Call Insurance company to confirm how often house must be checked inside to maintain insurance coverage.
  
• Arrange with professional property manager/ house sitter to watch over your house
• Stop newspaper delivery
  
• Arrange for mail pickup

If you know of other items that we should include, please leave us a comment and we will add it. We can all use all of the help we can get in this regard. The above is an excellent checklist for looking after your vacant home while you are away. For more vacant home checklists, click here.

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