The joys of owning your own little bolt hole in France or Spain are many but second home owners do face some problems due to the fact that they are not living full time in the property and so you have to come up with a careful plan on how - and who – will maintain your property when you are not there, especially if you only visit a few weeks a year.
Problems such as pests are common and you may find yourself having to call the Deratisation expert if mice or rats take over when you are not there. It is all too common to try to save money by leaving half empty packets of food there for your next visit but they encourage unwelcome guests that are hard to get rid of.
You will find in most towns and villages that there is someone willing to keep an eye and maintain your home for you for a small fee, maybe someone who is retired and will pop in from time to time to check that everything is safe and mow the garden once in a while.
It is important both from the maintenance perspective and the security aspect that there is a regular visitor to the house.
It is in your interests to keep it as well maintained throughout the year so that you do not spend your holiday sorting out the mess.
