Seasonal home checks, before you fly north.
Seasonal home plumbing checks for Naples owners who spend summers away. We close the house the right way before you leave and open it again before you're back, with photos of every step.
The empty months
Summer is the hard part.
Hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30, the same months many seasonal homes sit empty. A small leak in an empty house can run for weeks before anyone notices. Turning the water off the right way is the cheapest insurance there is.
Source: NOAA National Hurricane Center (Atlantic hurricane season).
When you leave.
- Main water off, and we show you the valve.
- Water heater set to vacation or switched off.
- Washer, dishwasher and ice-maker lines checked for wear.
- Toilets checked for slow leaks.
- Irrigation: we show you which valve feeds it, so the lawn can keep its water without the house.
- Every drain run and trap filled, so sewer smells stay out.
- A photo report [sent to you, and to your home-watch company or manager if you like].
When you come back.
- Water on slowly, every joint and tap checked.
- Water heater back on and flushed.
- Every drain run.
- The meter read, to catch a hidden slab leak.
- A photo report, before you land if you like.
After a storm, follow your utility's instructions on any boil-water notice.
Cost
What it costs.
- Closing visit[price]
- Opening visit[price]
- Both[price]
- Mid-season check[price, if the real shop offers it]
Placeholders: the real shop's own prices go here. We never guess.
Book your closing in [month]: spring fills up. [Only if true.]
Seasonal check questions
Should I turn the water off while I'm away?
For most homes, yes: it's the simplest way to stop a small leak becoming a big one. If your irrigation or a fire sprinkler system needs water, we'll show you what stays on.
Do you work with home-watch companies and managers?
We can leave them a written note and send them the photo report. [Key handover: the real shop's practice].
My condo has its own rules. Is that a problem?
No. Some associations ask owners to shut water off when they're away. Tell us your building's rules and we'll follow them.
Can you come if something goes wrong while I'm away?
[Yes, with your home watch or manager letting us in: the real shop's answer].
Talk to a plumber