How Are Your Vacant Properties?

8/24/2020 (Permalink)

Water Damaged Vacant Home

We were called out to a house earlier this year, that had been vacant for quite some time and had extensive water damage. There was a toilet supply line break upstairs, so the water-saturated the first-floor ceiling causing it to cave in. By the time we were contacted, there was debris all over the first floor of this home. Although the home was vacant there was still furniture that was not damaged from the water and the collapsed ceiling. Since the owner had not been living in the home, nor had they completed regular visits, we were unsure how long the water had been running. As you can see from the picture this was just some of the damage done to the lower level of the home.

So why are we talking about an older job? Well, we know many people who own multiple homes for different purposes, and some of those homes stay vacant for a variety of reasons. But when talking with those people they do not always complete regular checks on the houses that are vacant, or they do not live close enough to complete regular checks. If you do not live near the property, you should have someone nearby assigned (or hired) to check on your vacant properties. With winter right around the corner, it is even more important to schedule regular checks. September is national preparedness month, but it does not mean that you cannot start preparing for disaster prevention now.