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Checklist for maintaining a closed-up house
By Sal
Caputo • Bankrate.com
 If
you're going to be selling a house long distance, you probably already know
the drill about keeping in touch with your realty agent, but what about taking
care of the house itself?
Here's a handy checklist. Most of the information was provided
by Laura Kovacs, relocation director of Realty Executives Relocation Services
in Phoenix.
1. Have the house, carpets and
windows professionally cleaned once all the furniture is out.
2. If you need to fumigate to remove
smoking or pet odors, do it. Otherwise, having the house closed for long periods
will only exacerbate the odors.
3. Don't turn the water and power
off. They will be needed in order for all inspections to be carried out when
a sale is under way. To save money, ask your utility companies if they offer
special rates for vacant properties.
4. If you have a pool, arrange
for a pool service to keep it clean.
5. If you have
bushes and trees, hire a landscaper to come in and trim things at least once
a month.
6. If the landscaper doesn't do
lawns, hire someone to regularly mow the lawn.
7. The landscaper (or a separate
sprinkler service) should routinely check your sprinkler system. Your realty
agent can help you here by keeping an eye out for brown patches of lawn, etc.,
and letting your service people know.
8. Arrange for pest control.
9. If you live in a part of the
country where radon is a concern or where houses get musty when closed for a
while, you should have someone (most likely your realty agent, a relative or
trusted neighbor) come and open the house to get air circulating, perhaps once
a week or every other week, depending on conditions.
10. If you have air conditioning,
you may leave the thermostat set a few degrees higher than when you lived there,
but don't turn it off entirely.
11. Water can get stagnant and
plumbing can get cranky, so have whoever regularly checks on the house flush
the toilets and open faucets occasionally, perhaps once a month or more often
as conditions warrant.
-- Posted: July 1, 2003
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