It is essential to safeguard your vacation home during the hot, humid months in Florida, when most vacation homes are empty due to the “snowbirds” returning to their summer homes.
Here are a couple of tips to follow:
Monitor Your Bills
Monitor your electricity and water bills for any unusual variances during the months you are not there to check for any unusual activity.
Air Conditioner, Humidity Management, And Mold Prevention
- Set your programmable A/C to run for at least 2 hours a day during 12 am and 6 am at 72 degrees, and at 88 degrees for the remainder of the time.
- Other A/C should be set to 80 degrees during the time you are away.
- Change or if washable, then wash the A/C filter as dirt can lead to mildew and mold growth.
- Set dehumidifiers and/or humidistats to 58 percent RH to maintain the humidity.
- Remember to weather seal all the doors and windows.
- Find a reliable home care service to visit your home regularly and check the A/C and dehumidifiers.
Appliances
- Unplug and store all appliances, remember to remove all crumbs from the toaster.
- Empty the dishwasher, clean the interior and leave the door open.
- Clean the inside of the washing machine and leave the lid open.
- Clean the lint filter in the dryer and leave the door open.
- If you have an automatic ice maker, switch it off and dry it, if possible.
- If you switch your refrigerator off then, remove all the food, clean the interior with a solution of 1 tbsp. of baking soda in 1 quart of water, dry it thoroughly and leave the doors open.
- If you leave the refrigerator on, then set it at its warmest setting and throw out any opened condiments.
- Unplug the cable and satellite boxes.
Bathrooms And Water
- If you use an automatic fire-sprinkler system, then turn off all water valves to bathrooms, washing machine and dishwasher, else turn off the main water valve.
- Clean and dry all bathroom fixtures and surfaces.
- Ensure all bath towels are washed and dry before packing them away.
- Turn off the circuit breaker to the water heater.
- Cover kitchen and bath vents with plastic.
Closets
- Leave space between clothes, and open the closet doors to keep fresh air moving in and out.
- Remove any plastic wrappings or bags around clothes.
- Use plastic hangers for your clothes. Metal can rust and stain your clothes.
Security And Safety
- Place timers on your indoor lamps. Or, if you leave your broadband connected, then you can use smart plugs to control the table lamps.
- Check all smoke alarms to ensure they are working.
- Stop newspaper and/or mail delivery.
- Close drapes and blinds to stop strangers from peeping inside.
- Lock all doors and windows.
- Get the hurricane shutters set up if you are going to be gone until November.
- Get a home watch service to check on your property every few weeks.
Pool
- Set the pool pump to run a maximum of 6 hours per day.
- Arrange for a home watch service to check your pool water and chemical levels.
When it comes to vacation home care services, there is a lot to do. That is why so many home owners opt to enlist the expertise of the experts to do it all for them! For information on vacation home care services you can trust, contact Gardens Home Management Services today.