Property check empty in Ottery St Mary
Looking for professional property check empty help in Ottery St Mary? Hembury Contracting provides reliable home help services across Ottery St Mary and surrounding areas.
Price Guide
£60-£85
Typical Duration
1-1.5 hrs
Location
Ottery St Mary
Empty property checked thoroughly while you're away. Perfect for holidays, hospital stays, or vacant rental properties - keeping your home secure and catching problems before they become expensive disasters.
### When Your House Sits Empty
Leaving your house empty for weeks feels risky. What if there's a leak? What if someone tries the doors? What if the heating fails in winter and pipes freeze? For most people, that **nagging worry** ruins half the holiday.
> 💡 **Pro tip:** Insurance often requires properties to be checked regularly when empty - usually weekly. This service keeps you compliant and gives you actual peace of mind.
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### Why Regular Checks Matter
Here's what can happen to empty properties in Devon:
| ✅ With Regular Checks | ❌ Without Checks | |------------------------|-------------------| | Leaks spotted within days | Water damage for weeks | | Security breaches caught immediately | Break-ins unnoticed | | Heating failures identified | Frozen pipes burst | | Mail collected, house looks occupied | Obvious nobody's home | | Insurance requirements met | Potential claim issues |
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### What You Get
**🏠 The Complete Check**
| What I Check | Details | |--------------|---------| | **External Security** | All doors/windows locked, no damage, property looks occupied | | **Internal Walk-Through** | Every room checked for leaks, damp, unusual smells, damage | | **Heating & Water** | System working if needed, no frozen pipes, no drips | | **Post & Appearance** | Mail collected or moved out of sight, curtains adjusted | | **Specific Concerns** | Anything particular you're worried about |
**📸 What You Receive** - Text summary immediately after visit - Photos of anything relevant or concerning - Immediate call if there's a problem - Weekly scheduled updates if all's fine
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### Pricing Guide
| Visit Frequency | Estimated Time | You'll Pay | |-----------------|----------------|------------| | Single check visit | 1 hr | **£60** | | Weekly checks (standard holiday) | 1 hr each | **£60/visit** | | Twice-weekly or daily checks | 1-1.5 hrs each | **Contact for rates** |
*Based on £60 minimum (first hour) + £50/hr after. Regular schedules can be arranged at discounted rates.*
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### Perfect For Your Situation If...
✅ **Extended holidays** - two weeks away or longer
✅ **Winter travel** - worried about frozen pipes
✅ **Hospital stays** - unexpected absences from home
✅ **Landlords** - vacant rental properties between tenancies
✅ **Second homes** - Devon properties used seasonally
✅ **Insurance compliance** - policy requires regular checks
Why Choose Us for Property check empty in Ottery St Mary?
Full security and safety check
Heating and water systems monitored
Regular or one-off visits
Photo updates sent immediately
What to Expect
### Step 1: Initial Meeting We'll meet at your property before you leave. You'll show me around, explain any quirks (like tricky locks or where the stopcock is), and hand over keys or set up key safe access. I'll take notes on anything specific to check. ### Step 2: Regular Visits I'll visit on the agreed schedule (weekly is standard). Each visit is thorough - I'm looking for problems, not just ticking a box. If everything's fine, you get a quick text confirmation. If there's an issue, you get a call with photos. ### Step 3: Final Visit & Return When you're back, I'll do one final check, hand back keys if you're not using a key safe, and give you a full summary of how everything went. Most people then book me again for their next trip.
Our Ottery St Mary Service Coverage
We cover Ottery St Mary and a 30-mile radius from Exeter, meaning you get local service with the backing of an established business. Whether you're in the centre of Ottery St Mary or in the surrounding villages, we're here to help.
Good to Know
> ❄️ **Devon winters matter.** We might not get heavy snow, but temperatures regularly hit freezing. Pipes in older Exeter houses are often poorly insulated - if your heating fails while you're away, you can come home to burst pipes and flood damage. Weekly checks catch this before disaster. **Insurance usually requires weekly checks.** If you're away for more than a few weeks, check your home insurance policy. Most require properties to be "inspected regularly" when unoccupied - usually means weekly. This service keeps you compliant. **Holiday homes are a specialty.** Many clients have second homes in Devon they only visit seasonally. I can do regular checks year-round, arrange contractor access for repairs, and keep properties secure between visits. **Winter is the busy period.** People worry most about empty properties in cold weather (rightly so). Book early for Christmas holidays or winter travel - those weeks fill up fast. **Combining with other services.** If you need bins taken in, plants watered, or post collected, we can bundle that into the property check. More efficient than separate visits. **Trust takes time.** First time working together, I'll show ID and we'll keep everything formal. After a few successful checks, most people are comfortable with me having permanent key safe access - makes regular scheduling easier.
Frequently Asked Questions about Property check empty in Ottery St Mary
What do you actually check during a property visit?
Everything that could go wrong while you're away - doors/windows secure, no leaks, heating working (if needed), no mail piling up visibly, general appearance from outside. I'll walk through each room looking for issues, test taps if you want, check for damp or unusual smells. You get a text summary and photos.
Can you do this while I'm on holiday for two weeks?
Absolutely - that's the most common use. Weekly visits are typical for holidays, but some people prefer twice-weekly or even daily if they're worried about specific issues (like freezing pipes in winter). We'll set up a schedule that works for you.
What happens if you find a problem?
I call you immediately with photos. Then we decide together what to do - sometimes it's something I can fix on the spot (like resetting a tripped fuse), sometimes it needs a specialist (like a leak needing a plumber). Either way, you're informed straightaway and it doesn't sit for days getting worse.
Do I need to give you keys?
Yes - either physical keys or a code for a key safe. First visit, we'll meet face-to-face so you're comfortable with who you're trusting. Most people use key safes these days - means I can access without holding onto your keys permanently.
Is this service useful for landlords with empty rentals?
Very - especially between tenancies. I can check the property weekly, make sure it's secure, spot any issues before viewings, and keep it looking occupied (which helps with insurance). Some landlords use this service year-round for their rental portfolio.
Get a Free Quote in Ottery St Mary
Call us today for a free, no-obligation quote for your property check empty job in Ottery St Mary.
01392 964094Request Online QuotePricing for Ottery St Mary
* Same rates for all locations in our service area
Got multiple jobs?
Make the most of your first hour - I can often tackle several small tasks in one visit. List everything you need done when you call!
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