Special Problems of Unoccupied Properties All Too Real

It’s nice to believe that when you close on the purchase of a vacation home in coastal Delaware, you can look forward to years of a safe investment plus family fun and precious memories.

Unfortunately, absentee ownership also comes with unavoidable headaches. Some are unique to the beach where severe winds, salt air, sub-zero temperatures and occasional tidal flooding are common; others are true of unoccupied property anywhere. Welcome Home offers you the joy of owning a vacation home without the worries. Here is a list of a few actual issues our service discovered and thwarted before major damage or theft occurred.

• Exterior door leading to the home’s interior found wide open
• Roof leaked into an interior ceiling and wall
• Exterior shower pipes not winterized
• Unlocked windows discovered
• Flood vent found inoperable
• Roof shingles missing after storm
• Mold on HVAC ceiling vent discovered
• Exterior flower box damaged from vandalism – police alerted
• Heat mistakenly left off in mechanical room
• Pipes and electrical ceiling penetrations unsealed allowing critter and insect access
• Holes found in soffit screen, another critter access point
• Thermostat malfunction
• Siding missing