When you’re responsible for a property that you don’t live in or even near, it can be difficult to stay on top of things. Getting behind on lawn care and other maintenance tasks can make it obvious that a property is unoccupied, which makes it a target for all kinds of damage. Aside from deliberate damage from humans, the random damage of nature can really put a dent in your investment if you let it go unchecked.

Lawn Care

Neat lawns are largely unnoticeable, particularly in a neighborhood full of neat lawns. Lawns are supposed to look neat, so when they are, they don’t draw attention. Messy lawns are the ones that get noticed. Long grass, fallen branches, untrimmed hedges are all signs of vacancy. Make sure that you have hired someone to do regular lawn care on your property. Beyond mowing the grass and clearing fallen branches, there’s weed control for lakes and keeping an eye on damage from grazing animals like deer.

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Scheduled Maintenance

Set up scheduled maintenance to clear the gutters and check for damage. Windows and doors should get special attention, as well as fences. Roofs are particularly vulnerable, and when they go wrong, the damage spreads quickly. Meanwhile, basements are prone to flooding, so make sure that those are both included in your regularly scheduled maintenance checks.

Visit

The truth is that there’s just no substitute for having eyes on a property. If you can’t look at the property yourself, find someone who can. If possible, have them take pictures so you can see for yourself if there are any red flags. You know this property better than anyone you can hire, and sometimes the only one who can spot when something is about to go wrong (or has already gone wrong and needs to be repaired) is you.