How to Maintain Your Vacation Home

Having a home away from home is a dream come true, but owning a faraway property can also be a nightmare if it is not properly maintained. Vacation homes require all the same maintenance and repairs of an everyday home. Since they are not lived in year-round, vacation home problems can go from unnoticeable to dire emergency between visits. That’s why it’s vitally important to consistently check for small issues and be proactive in keeping the home in shipshape. You have two main options for vacation home maintenance. You can go it alone by performing small fixes and preventative work at the end of your routine visits—known as “closing” your home for the season—as well as maintenance work during transitional seasons. If you want the luxury of kicking your feet up, you have two sources for hiring outside help.

Hiring a Property Management Service

The easiest way to maintain your vacation home is by hiring a property management service. This can be a costly decision, though there are some potential benefits. If you live far from your property and cannot come out even a few times per year for maintenance, you may want to hire a property management service. You may also be able to use the same company to provide vacation rental services—just note that most companies take 20% to 50% of the rental income to cover their fees. The main downside of hiring an outside service is not just the monthly fees for checking in. If something goes wrong, a management service is more likely to bill you an exorbitant amount for something you could have fixed yourself or for which you could have done comparison shopping.

Hiring a Property Caretaker

You can save more by going with a property caretaker. These are generally local handymen not affiliated with a corporate management service. They can take care of most small issues, such as leaky faucets, as well as routine maintenance like mowing the grass. Caretakers generally make the rounds every two weeks to make sure all is well. They are also typically given the responsibility of hiring and overseeing major or emergency repairs. 

Closing Your Vacation Home Properly 

In order to head off costly repairs and time-consuming hassles, you want to close your property after each stay. Think about simple things you can do to come back to a clean vacation home. Also consider ways you can save money while the home is empty. Here are some examples:

• Unplug large appliances or consider disconnecting your electricity services (just be aware of reconnection fees)
• Turn off water services for areas at risk of freezing
• Clean out the fridge—there’s nothing worse than coming home to a mess of expired food
• Clean out sinks and shower drains to prevent rotting smells
• Take out the trash in every room
• Bring grills, umbrellas, patio furniture, and other outdoor accessories inside to prevent wear and tear from weather damage
• Set your thermostat to the proper temperature for the season to conserve energy

Seasonal Visits 

Even if you can’t stay for pleasure, you’ll want to visit your vacation home seasonally—or at least once to twice per year—to keep up on bigger maintenance items. You’ll be checking the foundation for cracks and mold, preventing animal intruders and insect damage, replacing smoke detector batteries, trimming trees, cleaning gutters, and doing yard work. You’ll also want to check your HVAC system, replace filters, and winterize your sprinkler system. Finally, don’t forget to check and caulk the seals around doors and windows to help regulate the indoor temperature during extreme weather.