Investing in property is a rollercoaster, and your building mightn’t have occupants for months at a time. You’re reliant on many factors that aren’t in your control, whether you choose to buy to resell or you’re searching for suitable tenants to rent your property out. As house prices rise and decline, you may find it challenging to secure a return on your investment. While you’re waiting for the next move, vacant property security keeps your building protected. Care is crucial in maintaining any flat or house you’re looking to sell, and there are additional steps you need to take if it’s always empty.
Here is a guide covering how to manage a vacant property.
Firstly, what risks do you face with vacant property?
Properties without any tenants face a unique set of risks. Considering and addressing these is particularly important if you don’t live near the building and you can’t perform regular security checks for yourself.
Vacant properties are more likely to:
- Be targeted by vandals since there aren’t apparent repercussions.
- Get burgled if they’re furnished without tenants.
- Become a routine setting for squatters.
- Experience leaks or water damage.
- Suffer electrical faults that result in fires.
- Become overrun by mould.
- Face pest infestations with nests.
- Become damaged by extreme weather.
How to plan to combat vacant property risks
Any management of your property needs to take steps to eliminate risks purposefully. Any costly threats to the investment you’ve made ought to be your biggest concern, and successful management means targeting those first. You can put several strategies in place to monitor your building and guarantee that it is kept as secure as possible no matter where you are.
Consider CCTV monitoring
CCTV monitoring allows you to check every corner of your property from any distance. External CCTV cameras are an excellent deterrent to criminals since you’re going to catch footage of them if they approach your building. Squatters, vandals and burglaries are much less likely to affect your life if they don’t target you in the first place. Still, cameras provide evidence for use in court if incidents do occur.
CCTV monitoring can also alert you to safety risks like electrical faults since you’ll be able to see if alarms have been triggered. You can then ring the local authorities to attend to your building even if it isn’t occupied.
Perform regular maintenance
Whether you have occupants or not, it is in your interest to perform regular maintenance on your property. Prepare your building for winter by fitting double glazing and repairing faulty hinges. You’re less likely to need costly repairs completed before you sell. Regular maintenance of your building means severe leaks and water damage are less likely, and you’ll notice pest infestations before they escalate.
Mould is another issue that you can easily combat with regular maintenance. Attending your vacant property a few times a year gives you a chance to turn on central heating and correct the damp atmosphere. Even a couple of hours can make a massive difference to the health of the house.
Communicate with neighbours
Want to be sure that your windows and your doors are secure? It pays to be friendly with your property neighbours since you can ring them up if your CCTV catches anything suspicious. Nothing beats a physical presence to protect the house, and neighbours can keep an eye and ear out where standard security measures may miss.
For further advice on managing a vacant property, contact us at STOK K9 Security Services. Whether you require void property inspections or you’re simply looking for some friendly advice, we’re here to help.