subject: Safeguarding Your Vacation Rental From The Elements [print this page] Winterizing Winterizing
If youre vacation rental is located that gets a lot of snow during winter, its important to winterize it. The following are helpful tips to ensure that your property will survive the winter season:
1.Clean the gutters to allow proper drainage and avoid any water freezing during winter.
2.Dont forget to drain all the outside hoses and insulate the faucets.
3.Store outdoor cleaning tools as well as your satellite dish, if there is any.
4.Make sure that the pool is properly covered or closed.
5.Turn of the main water line and winterize the plumbing.
6.If youre planning to stop the operation of your vacation rental during this season, make sure you stop newspaper delivery and provide a forwarding address to the postal service.
Floods
Countryside rentals are prone to floods especially if the area gets inches of rain yearly. Fortunately, there are several ways to protect your home and your belongings from this disaster. Firstly, consider buying flood insurance. You dont have to worry if you already have one but, if not, you can apply at the National Flood Insurance Program.
In order to know if youre basic homeowner insurance policy covers flood, review your coverage. If youre still unsure whether you need flood insurance or not, hire a home inspector. These professionals can easily tell you if you need to protect your home from flood. Nevertheless, its still crucial to buy one anyway just to be sure that your property will be safe.
Wildfire
If your rental is located somewhere near the forest, you must make sure that it is protected against wildfire. Wildfires are either caused naturally or intentionally with human involvement; so you just dont know when disaster will strike. What you can do is to ensure that the trees around your home are particularly located quite a distant away. You can also consider opting for fire-resistant materials for the roof and keeping a fire hydrant handy. Furthermore, make sure that your vacation rental is equipped with smoke detectors, especially in the bedrooms and living room.
