Your tickets are booked, your bags are packed, you’re dreaming of spending two weeks poolside – you are vacation-ready! One question: who is checking in on your house while you are gone?
Property checks are an essential consideration but are not typically top of mind for most vacationers. We like to think of a property check like wearing a helmet playing pond hockey. Most days, you can roll the dice and come out just fine. But, hit one rut or trip over one stick, and you’ll be wishing that you had that safety net.
As a property management company in Midland, a popular cottage destination, we have many clients that require routine checks of their vacant or unoccupied property. Whether we are doing a scheduled check or an emergency call, our clients have the peace of mind that comes with a professional keeping an eye on their home, vacation, or rental property.
Property Checks Are The Best Insurance
A property that requires a check comes in two forms: unoccupied properties and vacant properties. It is important to understand the difference, especially for insurance purposes.
Unoccupied properties are homes or cottages where the owners intend to return. This could be a vacation, a business trip or an unexpected illness. Most home insurance policies require you to have someone check your home if you are away for more than five days.
A vacant property means no one is living there, and most of the personal positions are removed. This could be an empty rental unit or a home that you are trying to sell while you are living in another house. These present a more substantial risk. Generally, when left unattended for more than 30 days, the property could be considered vacant and without insurance coverage.
Both unoccupied and vacant homes are considered a risk for your insurance provider. Talk to them to determine what their expectations are when you go away on vacation – you wouldn’t want to risk a claim denial in the event of an issue.
What Types of Checks Does a Property Management Service Do?
If you are planning on leaving your property unoccupied or vacant, we offer multiple services for you. You can schedule a property check regularly throughout the year or just go on an as-needed basis or emergency basis. Here’s more about each option.
Regular Checks: It’s always a good idea to have regularly scheduled checks done on a vacant (or semi-vacant) property. Whether you are leaving your cottage for a few months or snow-birding, property checks are essential.
Just like going to the dentist or getting a physical, your property requires a skilled set of eyes to spot any minor issues before they become big problems. Our trained team will catch any problems early. By addressing it when the problem is on a smaller scale, you save a significant amount of money by avoiding more costly repairs down the road.
A few months ago, at one of the cottages we look after, a potentially devastating issue was discovered and prevented. The battery inside of the wireless modem was overcharging itself. The battery was bulging and ready to pop. Best case scenario, it explodes and leaves an acidic stain in its place. The worst-case scenario, a house fire. Thanks to a regularly scheduled property check, both situations were avoided!
Emergency Calls: Many of our clients live elsewhere. Some are within a half-hour drive, some are travelling in China. Regardless of where you live, sometimes you just can’t get to your place when you need to. That’s where we come in.
Not too long ago, we received a call from Huronia Alarms about a client’s system malfunctioning. The client was in China on business. We were there in less than 15 minutes to resolve the issue and prevent any major damage!
Concierge Service: We like to think of this as the best welcome home possible. With our concierge service, we will get your home or cottage ready so that it was like you never left. This is an especially popular service for cottagers who come up on weekends – we save them from having to deal with the grocery store and provide them more time to just enjoy their weekend.
From stacking new firewood to filling your fridge with your favourite indulgences, we can make your visits go off without a hitch. Our concierge service extends to organizing with sub-trades too.
If you are you a cottager, frequently out of town on business, or are going on vacation, we provide detailed property checks, mail pick up, garbage and recycling, lawn care, after-storm checks, and more. Call us today, and we’ll show you how our full complement of services can be personalized to fit your needs.
