Holiday Homes – Strategies For Effective Property Maintenance

Posted by admin on July 6, 2009 under Holiday Home Owners, Holiday Property Management & Maintenance | Be the First to Comment

A vital element of holiday home property management is effective property maintenance, to make sure you avoid unnecessary costs and maximise return on your investment.

If you run a holiday home letting business, you face a number of property maintenance challenges, some of which are quite different from those you face regarding maintenance of your own home.

Something as simple as a displaced roof tile can lead to water damage and a huge bill as well as possibly lost revenue if you need to carry out remedial work during the holiday letting season. So it is important to follow strategies for effective property maintenance of a holiday home or second home.

The biggest challenge you will face is keeping on top of property maintenance if you live a long way from the property, as many holiday home owners do. It is vital to appoint someone you trust to keep a regular eye on the house, from the point of view of property maintenance. You cannot expect the same people who are delivering cleaning services or key holder services to check for property maintenance issues, unless this has been specifically agreed, and you cannot expect a neighbour, however helpful, to alert you to everything that may need to be done either.

So an essential strategy is to appoint someone that is an expert in property maintenance to keep an eye on the property for you. This could be a specialist holiday home property management company or it could be a trusted individual with the right skills.  Either way, make sure they know exactly what is expected of them and agree a mutually acceptable fee for the caretaking service. Some owners of second homes and holiday homes resist paying a caretaking fee, preferring a more informal arrangement with a friend or neighbour but this is not a wise move.  It is only if the arrangement is on a formal business footing that you can reasonably expect the job to be done well.

Once you have appointed someone to be in charge of property maintenance, draw up a list of all the items that need to be checked and agree how often and when. This should include checking the roof tiles, the guttering, any signs of damp or water ingress, damage to the paintwork, functioning of locks and so on.

It may help to walk round the house as you draw up the list to remind you of all the areas that need to be checked. By spotting any problems as they arise, you can avoid problems getting worse or causing secondary damage. You can also carry out remedial work early and keep costs to a minimum.

Don’t forget to include a check of all outside areas and fencing as well.

As well as checking for any property maintenance problems as they arise, there will be a number of regular maintenance jobs to be carried out on a weekly, monthly or annual basis. This could include decorating, exterior painting, septic tank drainage and servicing of electrical equipment.

By planning these regular property maintenance jobs well in advance, you will be able to select times that avoid periods of peak customer demand, so you never have to turn down a holiday booking due to a property maintenance emergency.

You will also be able to secure tradesmen well in advance, avoiding having to waste time phoning around trying to find a decorator or a plumber at short notice.

If you decide to contract a holiday home services specialist, you will benefit from their broad experience in holiday home property management and you can relax, knowing that your property is being well maintained.

However, if you decide to make your own arrangements, you should adopt the same disciplined strategies that a holiday home services specialist would to make sure that your property maintenance runs smoothly and that your holiday home rentals business delivers maximum yield.