Going on vacation or just headed to your primary home for the season? Leaving a property vacant has its unique risks and challenges. Here’s a checklist of things you’ll want to do to protect your property:
Call your mortgage/insurance companies. Mortgage and insurance companies have special rules for vacant homes. From an insurance perspective, you’ll need to adjust your coverage to reflect the added risk of leaving your home unoccupied. Vacant homes generally cost more to insure. Not informing your insurance company isn’t an option, because most standard homeowners insurance policies do not cover damage to homes after they have been left vacant for a specified period of time. It’s important to address this issue with your insurance provider to make sure your unoccupied home is covered in the case of vandalism, fire or other disaster.
Keep your utilities on. It’s not a good idea to simply turn off your thermostat and/or utilities, of course. In the winter, set your thermostat at 50 degrees while you’re away to keep appliances and pipes from freezing. During the summer months, you can set your thermostat as high as 90 degrees — as long as you aren’t leaving any furry friends behind in your home while you travel.
Think about fire hazards. Electronics and appliances that remain plugged in while you’re not there can continue to cost you money and increase your risk of a fire. Do a walk-through of your home and unplug everything that can be unplugged you can before you leave to eliminate possible fire hazards.
Think about security. It’s understandable to want to leave lights on to deter would-be burglars, but leaving lights on all the time is a big waste of energy, plus a big signal you’re not really at home. Consider placing lights on a timer, so they turn on and off at a set time. You’ll also want to consider a security system with remote video monitoring capabilities. Making sure your property is monitored can also help prevent theft, vandalism and squatters, all unique risks of properties that are unoccupied. Even in the best neighborhoods, vacant homes can become a target.
Turn down the water heater. Does your water heater have a ‘vacation’ setting? If you’re going to be elsewhere, consider turning down your water heater. You’ll also want someone to check in on your home from time to time to make sure there are no small problems, like leaks, that become large and costly problems because no one was there to detect them early.
Perhaps the biggest downside to an unoccupied property is lost income. You aren’t there to enjoy your home — and you aren’t getting any investment income for it, either.
We have a better option than leaving your home vacant. Turn your home into an income property! We help homeowners turn their properties into vacation home rentals. Demand for vacation rentals in Southern California is high because it’s such a great place to visit and a favorite spot for snowbirds. With PMI Sunny OC property owners can rest assured knowing that we’re working hard to protect their investment and maximize their income. We are 100% locally owned and operated. We know the area and pride ourselves on our attention to detail.
We make turning your property into a vacation rental easy. PMI Sunny OC works with the finest vendors to bring you the most advanced services in the industry that can help you protect and maximize the investment in your Orange County rental property. We are specialists in the areas of:
- Anaheim
- Mission Viejo
- Placentia
Whether you’re leaving for a few months or indefinitely, consider turning your property into a vacation rental. We can provide a rental property analysis and answer all of your questions. Let’s explore the possibilities together.
