Leave your house unoccupied

Leaving your house unoccupied is really only an option if you're going away for a fairly short career break.

Advantages include the fact that it's less hassle (no legal, tax or mortgage stuff to sort out). Disadvantages are that you don't get any rental income and your home is more vulnerable to thieves.

For insurance reasons, you may wish to arrange for someone to stay over in your house for a few days while you are away.

Leaving your house unoccupied - a checklist

If you decide to leave your house unoccupied during your career break, here's some stuff you need to do:

• Get a friend or neighbour you trust a lot to keep an eye on the house and do basic maintenance (more about this below)
• Tell your insurance company if your house is going to be unoccupied for more than 30 days
• Tell the council tax people
• Move anything of high value (sentimental or cash) into a more secure location
• Cancel any deliveries (milk, DVDs, subscriptions)

Your house-minder's checklist

Whoever looks after the house for you will have to do the following:

• Water plants
• Look after the garden (if you have one) - mowing, weeding etc
• Pick up the post
• Switch lights on and off (so the place looks occupied)
• Open a window (in summer)
• Put the heating on (in winter, so pipes don't freeze)
• Be prepared to deal with any emergencies (break-ins, mouse infestations, roof falling off etc)

Agree with your house-minder what you'll do in an emergency. Will they pay the emergency plumber and you pay them back, for example, or will you leave them some emergency money?

Where next?

Back to What to do with your house
Back to What to do with your stuff
Back to the Homepage
Back to top