Need hints/tips on closing a house up for a year... (dehumidifier, windows)

[ZugZub]

I might be going overseas for a year, and I'll need to close my house up for that period of time. It's not in a bad neighborhood, but it's not a terrific one either. I have someone who will come in and mow the grass and check on things once a week. I will winterize it before I go, since it's in the midwest where they have four seasons.

What else should I do to secure the property? I'm toying with the idea of putting exterior grade plywood over the windows and doors, but I don't want the place to appear abandoned, and I don't want to make the neighborhood look tacky with a boarded up house. I figure I'll give a heads up to the local police patrol so that they know it's an empty house and not abandoned.

Any suggestions? (and no, I won't rent it out as the interior is in a state of renovation and I wouldn't feel comfortable renting it as is...)

[scottv]

ha, if you were my neighbor and put plywood up on the windows-it wouldn't be up for long. If I left my house for a year, I would probably have the water and electrical mains to the house shutoff and run some type of antifreeze through any pipes subject to freezing (if this is possible)? That's all I can think of off hand.

[desertsun41]

You need to put a car in the driveway. And preferrably have it move every day or so. Can you have your neighbor park in your driveway with a car he will use every day?

NO plywood on windows. You might as well put a sign on the front lawn saying I AM EMPTY, COME AND RANSACK ME.

Close the curtians completely but leave the power on so you can put timers on lamps in more then one room. You want lights to go on and off if anyone is scoping the place they look for this. Crooks know if the kitchen light comes on at exactly 7 every night then something is ripe for robbing. So more then one lamp on a timer is perfect. You also should put a radio on semi loud so anyone getting close to the house will hear it and move on to the next target thinking some one is home.

Yes shut the water off at the street tap. If ever a leak happened the house would flood before anyone noticed. I shut my water off and turn on a radio loud when I go away for a week or even a couple days.

Dont bother telling the pigs unless you want to get laughed at. Stuff a donut in their mouth and watch their belly expand to donut proportions.

Do let trusting neighbors know you are gone but only if they have no teenagers. If they have a teenager thug then that thug will tell his friends or even take advangtage of the situation themself.

If you do nothing else at all you need to have a trusting neighbor park his car in your driveway and take it to work every day.

[ZugZub]

Originally Posted by scottv

ha, if you were my neighbor and put plywood up on the windows-it wouldn't be up for long. If I left my house for a year, I would probably have the water and electrical mains to the house shutoff and run some type of antifreeze through any pipes subject to freezing (if this is possible)? That's all I can think of off hand.

Well, that's exactly what I'm talking about -- I don't want to offend the neighbors. That's why I'm paying a significant amount of money to have the grass cut and the snow shoveled.

Desert, thanks for the good tips. The car idea is great!

[Donn2390]

When one of my rental homes is empty, I put in lights in different rooms and a radio, on timers to come on at various times....

[studedude]

How about letting someone live in it, no charge, while they finish the renovation? I know my son would love to find a place like that.

[coastalrap]

You should have either AC or a dehumidifier going for the summer.

You don't want to come home to moldy walls.

[ZugZub]

Originally Posted by studedude

How about letting someone live in it, no charge, while they finish the renovation? I know my son would love to find a place like that.

No way. People don't respect things they get for free. Not only that, but if I'm not here I can't keep an eye on the work being done, and nobody is going to do it with as much care as I will. I could come back after a year, find that nothing has been done on the place, or that shoddy work has been performed, and have no recourse.