Best way to look after your holiday home

For many people owning a second home is a life long dream. It is by the beach in a hot country, far away from home, which is part of the attraction but also makes it much more difficult to manage.

Typically you may spend up to 6 months of a year in your second home however some years you may spend as little as 6 weeks. This means that for at least half of the year your house may be completely empty and therefore at risk to damage from natural and man made causes.

Assuming you are in a comfortable enough financial state to not need to rent out your home, but do not want to spend exorbinate amounts of money on management fees and security guards when you are not there, there are a number of steps I recommend you take to protect yourself and your investment.

Insurance - It is important to get a good insurance policy that will cover you for any potential natural disasters as well as fire and theft etc. Make sure to check that you are covered even if the home is not classed as your primary residence, many people forget to check this an therefore are technically uninsured as they have invalidated their policy.

Security - Pay extra attention to making your house secure, installing slightly higher fences, auto time and sensor lighting, security cameras (that you can monitor over the internet) and alarm systems all cost money however will make you feel much more comfortable about your home away from homes, and will certainly deter criminals.

Neighbors - Those of you who have grown up in the city may have become acustomed to not talking to your neighbors very much and wouldn't class yourselves as personal friends. Jumping over this barrier when you own a home abroad is an important one. Often there is at least one person in each neighborhood who lives abroad permantently, and others who are there most of the year around, these people will not only be the life blood of the local community but are also invaluable in keeping an eye on your home.

For those of you who want the extra certaintaty that your home will be in perfect condition when you arrive back each year then consider hiring a professional property manager. Not only will they be able to talk you through the above steps, as well as others, they will be able to keep an eye on your property, undertaking necessary maintenance that your house may need whilst you are gone. Make sure that you meet with any potential managers a number of times before you hire them, to ensure you feel entirely comfortable, and make sure to be very specific about the care and attention you would like to be given to your home. A cheap quote is only as good as the service they are willing to provide, and remember to also ask for references.

I wish you luck in buying a home here in Mexico or any other hot and sunny country, and if I can offer you any more advice about protecting your holiday home then please get in touch.

Simon