9 Important Things To Do To Prepare Your Vacation Home For The Off Season

As you start to count down the remaining days at your vacation home and soak in all that the enviable Florida winter has to offer, it's time to start preparing your vacation home for the off-season. When this time comes, there are a number of things that you will need to do to ensure that your vacation home is left safe and secure until you return again. Keep reading for some of the most important and overlooked tasks.

1. Turn off water at the inlet source
   Turning off all water at the inlet source will help prevent potential floods. Hot water heaters, ice makers, and leaky faucets can all result in significant damage to your vacation home.
2. Unplug all electrical devices
   While you are away, ensure that all electrical devices that do not absolutely need to be plugged in are unplugged. Things like televisions, coffee makers, alarm clocks, and other electronics all draw power, but can also be subject to damage from electrical surges.
3. Give away or dispose of foods
   Clean out the fridge, give away or throw out perishable foods, and wipe out the interior. Pantry items such as flour, sugar, cereal, and opened dry goods may attract rodents and other pests. For unopened and canned items make sure that they are stored off of the floor and in sealed containers.
4. Alert your insurance company
   When you are leaving for the off-season it’s important to let your insurance provider know that your property will be unoccupied. The insurance provider may have certain provisions that need to be met to ensure that your vacation home is properly insured during your absence.
5. Arrange for maintenance
   To ensure that the exterior of your vacation home remains fresh and taken care of you will want to enlist the help of a landscape contractor, or even a property maintenance company to service your vacation property while you are away.
6. Set your vacation home to look occupied
   Using a lamp with a timer to turn on and off lights throughout the day goes a long way to keep your home looking like someone is home.
7. Leave the air conditioner on
   Air conditioners are a great way to keep your home as fresh as possible, they can help prevent and reduce any mildew buildup that may occur while your home is sealed up for the off-season. Running your air conditioner for a couple of hours a day while you are away can help ensure that the air circulates within your home.
8. Close toilets, plug all drains
   On the day that you leave, you will need to ensure that all toilets and drains are sealed and plugged. When it comes to toilets, you’ll want to make sure that you seal the bowl of your toilets and secure the lids to prevent anything from gaining access through those points. For sink and shower drains, use the plugs and tape them down to keep unwanted pests from entering through unblocked drains.

A bit of planning can go a long way to reduce the stress of closing up your vacation home for the off-season and ensure that all of the crucial tasks are taken care of on time. While it's certainly possible to tackle these items on your own, you likely want to spend as much time enjoying your vacation home as possible before it's time to head home. This is where property management companies can help out.

Explore property management companies

If you plan on renting out your vacation home while it’s not in use you may want to consider using a property management service. The Real Estate Collection Property Management division offers services beyond rental property management that include weekly check-ins, exterior maintenance, and concierge service. Even if you’re not renting out your home, a local property management company will be familiar with everything that your vacation home may need in your absence.

Leaving your vacation home at the end of the season doesn’t have to be overwhelming. With a few simple measures, you can ensure that your home and property will be waiting for you in the best condition possible.

Do you have a tip for closing up your vacation property? We'd love to hear it, leave us a comment.

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