A vacation house is a terrific investment on many levels. Primarily, it becomes the place where the family can gather for their holidays. That will certainly cut down on those travel expenses, which could easily rack up thousands of dollars for a single week. When the family isn’t utilizing the vacation house, it could be rented on sites like Airbnb to generate extra income. Depending on the house and location, that extra income might actually be enough to cover the mortgage expenses for a good portion of the year.
All of this means that like your home, you want to make sure the investment in your vacation home is secure. Here’s how to accomplish that:
Make it Looked Lived-In
You want to give your vacation home the appearance of being lived in. That begins with maintaining the lawns. That is easily accomplished by hiring a local gardener to keep everything neat and trim. You also want to stop any mail or newspaper delivery. You could forward all the mail to a P.O. Box at near your permanent residence.
Hire a Property Manager
It always helps to make friends with your neighbors who can keep an eye on your vacation home. However, a lot of your neighbors might also be vacation home owners, too. That is why you should think about hiring a property management company to keep an eye out on the home. Not only could they become a rental agent, but that can also make weekly visits to the property to make sure there are no troubles.
Monitor Water and Electric Use
If you’re not renting out your vacation home, then you should find a way to monitor the properties water and electric use. That can trigger if there are any unwanted visitors. As for the water, if you notice a spike in the usage, then it could be an indication of a leak that should be addressed quickly before it can cause more damage.
Set Up Security Systems
You will also want to set up a security system for the property that includes video monitoring. Today’s security systems can let you access the cameras on the property from wherever you are. Additionally, you should check in with the local police department and find out if there is any special registration for vacant homes that you should comply with.
Being proactive with your vacation home’s safety will go a long way towards protecting that investment.
