For those with summer homes | ExpatWoman.com
 

For those with summer homes

357
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 26 May 2015 - 15:41
Think carefully about location-- if you are thinking of somewhere cold in winter you will have to pay for heating throughout the year and have someone check it regularly to make sure everything is OK and the boiler hasn't switched off (for example due to a power failure, or being out of gas) to avoid freezing pipes, damp, etc. The exterior is easy enough, it will need virtually nothing in winter, just maintenance and "winterising" in the fall and then some care in the spring-- a local landscaping company could easily handle that for you. In warmer locations the landscaping can be contracted and frozen pipes are not an issue but I would still recommend someone checking in regularly to make sure there hasn't been a break-in (this apparently happend a lot in the south of France). Or as Scaralex says you could rent it out to keep it from being totally unoccupied and bring in a bit of income.
409
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 25 May 2015 - 19:29
Thanks! What about the yard and things? Do you have someone to look after it? I'm desperate for a summer house but no idea where to start!
225
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 25 May 2015 - 18:46
We used to leave it empty but decided it was a bit of a waste. Now we rent it out for holiday lets through an agent. It only gets rented out 4-6 weeks a year which is perfect as it pays for the council tax but does not give too much wear and tear. And yes - lots of maintenance over the summer when we come back and use it for 6 weeks. We actually enjoy it because it is a contrast to life here where we don't have to lift a finger.
409
Posts
EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 25 May 2015 - 17:29
What do you do with the house during the year? Especially in Europe, do you find you need to do a lot of fixing up if you leave it during the winter?
 
 

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