Leaving a house empty for up to 2 months

[VeegasRS6]

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]

I wouldn't bother draining the central heating system/boiler!

[98elise]

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]

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]

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]

lol. really?!?

[HotJambalaya]

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]

If it's over the winter stopcock off, heating set to constant, thermostat set to 5'C

[Rickyy]

Turn the stopcock off regardless of season!

I wouldn't bother with more than that.

[Andehh]

Worth getting a couple of security lights/plug socket timers to turn a couple of things on & off?

[Marcellus]

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]

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.]

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]

Sticks. said:

Yes, a mine includes leaving the loft hatch open if unattended for more than x days.

Whys that then?

[Sticks.]

Mr MXT said:

Whys that then?

To prevent water pipes in the loft freezing and bursting.

[Orchid1]

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]

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]

fatboy b said:

Pretty sure that house contents insurance companies stipulate 10'C

Maybe they do

[HotJambalaya]

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]

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