Regular property inspections
Someone looking at your home, when you cannot.
Scheduled visits to check the general condition of your home, indoors and outside, so a small problem does not wait months to be noticed.
Why it matters
An empty house cannot tell you anything.
Most of what goes wrong in an unoccupied home starts small. A slow leak under a sink, a blocked terrace drain before heavy rain, a tile lifted by the wind. Left alone, each of these can become a far more expensive problem, and you would usually discover it on the day you arrive for your holiday.
A regular visit changes that. It gives you a recent account of how the property is, so that decisions can be made calmly and from a distance. The frequency is agreed with you, and can be different in winter and summer, or be increased after severe weather if you wish.
What a visit covers
What we look for.
Indoors
- Visible signs of leaks, water ingress or damp
- Ceilings, walls and floors for new marks or changes
- Doors, windows and shutters
- General condition, and anything that seems out of place
Outdoors
- Visible storm or weather damage
- Terraces, and drains that can be seen to be blocked
- The garden and the pool: is the routine care being done?
- Obvious maintenance needs
After each visit
You hear what we found, in plain words.
After a visit we keep you informed according to what we have agreed with you. If something needs attention we explain what we saw and suggest what might happen next: a tradesperson to look at it, a quotation, or simply keeping an eye on it until your next stay.
Follow-up happens only as agreed. We do not start works simply because we noticed something, unless your agreement already provides for that kind of situation.
In practice
Situations this helps with.
After a winter storm
You read about heavy rain in the Algarve and wonder about your terrace and roof line. A visit can check for visible damage and tell you what, if anything, needs doing.
A mark on the ceiling
A stain that was not there last time is recorded and reported. We can then arrange for someone qualified to find the cause, once you agree.
A supplier you cannot see
You pay for gardening and pool care from abroad. A visit gives you an independent look at whether that routine care appears to be happening.
Limits of the service
What an inspection is not.
Our visits are visual oversight of the general condition of the property. They are not a certified building survey, a technical inspection, or a test of the electrical, gas, plumbing or structural systems, and they cannot detect what is hidden from view.
A visit is also not a security service or a guarantee that nothing will go wrong. If something needs specialist assessment, we will say so and can help arrange the appropriate professional.
How often should someone look in on your home?
It depends on the house, the season and how often you are here. We can help you decide.