Leaving a house empty for up to 2 months

Leaving a house empty for up to 2 months

Author
Discussion

VeegasRS6

Original Poster:

367 posts

156 months

Monday 27th June 2016
quotequote all
All,

Due to a new job(and change in area, coupled with a break in the chain of my house sale, it appears that I am going to have to leave my house empty for maybe 6 to 8 weeks, while the sale catches back up.

I've taken on a rental property and that end is fine, but just wondering what I should do to keep the house secure before sale.

I've alerted my current insurers, who have agreed with it being empty for up to 3 months with an additional premium and some restrictions on the excesses, but just thinking through the practicalities of leaving it unfurnished.

water off at the stop cock.

electrics off at the consumer board.

drain the boiler system

gardener in to keep the front and rear garden tidy.

blinds and curtains kept open or closed?


Are these sensible and does anyone have any other suggestions?

Cheers

Steve

Rosscow

8,723 posts

162 months

Monday 27th June 2016
quotequote all
I wouldn't bother draining the central heating system/boiler!

98elise

26,364 posts

160 months

Monday 27th June 2016
quotequote all
I wouldn't bother draining the heating system. Definitely turn the water off though. A friend came back from a 2 month holiday to 60k worth of flood damage from a pipe freeze!

Du1point8

21,604 posts

191 months

Monday 27th June 2016
quotequote all
check mortgage or insurance, I know one of them didnt allow my property to be left empty for anytime greater than about 6 weeks, also it doesnt count have someone to check on it, it needs to be lived in.

bigandclever

13,750 posts

237 months

Monday 27th June 2016
quotequote all
I put some standard lamps on timers in sensible places in the house, shutters are closed on the ground floor, central heating is knocked down to two 15 minute periods 12 hours apart, and ask a neighbour to keep his eye an the letterbox to shove any flyers/free newspapers through. And that's it.

Efbe

9,251 posts

165 months

Monday 27th June 2016
quotequote all
lol. really?!?

HotJambalaya

2,023 posts

179 months

Monday 27th June 2016
quotequote all
I regularly go away for longer periods of time than this and do nothing.


If its winter I would turn the water off though.

Just a good walk around, check lights are off, immersion heater etc. You can turn the gas off too.

Lights on timers are good. You'll be fine really.

g7jtk

1,756 posts

153 months

Monday 27th June 2016
quotequote all
If it's over the winter stopcock off, heating set to constant, thermostat set to 5'C

Rickyy

6,618 posts

218 months

Monday 27th June 2016
quotequote all
Turn the stopcock off regardless of season!

I wouldn't bother with more than that.

Andehh

7,107 posts

205 months

Tuesday 28th June 2016
quotequote all
Worth getting a couple of security lights/plug socket timers to turn a couple of things on & off?

Marcellus

7,111 posts

218 months

Tuesday 28th June 2016
quotequote all
A lot of our owners who leave their properties empty for a while put a slug of cooking oil down the toilet and then place a sheet of newspaper over the top of the water to stop it evaporating!

fatboy b

9,492 posts

215 months

Tuesday 28th June 2016
quotequote all
g7jtk said:
If it's over the winter stopcock off, heating set to constant, thermostat set to 5'C
Pretty sure that house contents insurance companies stipulate 10'C

Sticks.

8,705 posts

250 months

Tuesday 28th June 2016
quotequote all
fatboy b said:
Pretty sure that house contents insurance companies stipulate 10'C
Yes, a mine includes leaving the loft hatch open if unattended for more than x days.

Mr MXT

7,691 posts

282 months

Tuesday 28th June 2016
quotequote all
Sticks. said:
Yes, a mine includes leaving the loft hatch open if unattended for more than x days.
Whys that then?

Sticks.

8,705 posts

250 months

Tuesday 28th June 2016
quotequote all
Mr MXT said:
Whys that then?
To prevent water pipes in the loft freezing and bursting.

Orchid1

877 posts

107 months

Tuesday 28th June 2016
quotequote all
Get one of these and attach it to a timer in an upstairs bedroom at the front of the property.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/FakeTV-FTV-10-UK-Burglar-...

Mothersruin

8,573 posts

98 months

Tuesday 28th June 2016
quotequote all
Marcellus said:
A lot of our owners who leave their properties empty for a while put a slug of cooking oil down the toilet and then place a sheet of newspaper over the top of the water to stop it evaporating!
That's a good idea. Not nice to come home to a place stinking of drains.

g7jtk

1,756 posts

153 months

Tuesday 28th June 2016
quotequote all
fatboy b said:
Pretty sure that house contents insurance companies stipulate 10'C
Maybe they do

HotJambalaya

2,023 posts

179 months

Tuesday 28th June 2016
quotequote all
Marcellus said:
A lot of our owners who leave their properties empty for a while put a slug of cooking oil down the toilet and then place a sheet of newspaper over the top of the water to stop it evaporating!
wow, genius, I'll be using that in my holiday place!

Welshbeef

49,633 posts

197 months

Tuesday 28th June 2016
quotequote all
g7jtk said:
If it's over the winter stopcock off, heating set to constant, thermostat set to 5'C
We have our heating on 16degress year round 24/7 it is increased to 18-20 during coldest winter plus have hot water on for long periods every day (this is turned off when we are away naturally). All up in doing this we only spend £300 on gas a year cannot understand the 5degree option or even the 10degrees