As a seasonal home and property owner in the Shuswap, I'm sure you find the value of owning a cottage, bungalow or home in the beautiful Shuswap very rewarding for vacationing in the summer months of the year, or living in the Shuswap during the mid spring through to the mid fall before heading south for the winter. 

Vacant Property Monitoring

A lot can go wrong while you are away.  This periodic monitoring is designed to keep you apprised of what is happening at your vacant property and alert you to anything that might require immediate action.  This monitoring is useful for absentee owners, vacation homes, and properties that are rented out.

Vacant property can be negatively affected by:

• Wind.

• Rain.

• Snow.

• Hail.

• Plumbing leaks.

• Roof leaks.

• HVAC failure.

• Freezing.

• Water intrusion.

• Mold.

• Vegetation.

• Burglary.

• Vandalism.

• Squatters.

• Pests.

With regular inspection maintenance and security checks on your property and home, you are assured that every possible and reasonable precaution is being taken to help insure that the safety of your home and property  over the fall and winter months is maintained. Knowing that there is someone reliable checking on your home and property  when you can't do it yourself will assure you peace of mind. With a monthly report on your home and property, you will be able to prove to your insurance company that your home and property is inspected on a weekly  basis when not occupied for a short or long term period.

Benefits You Will  Receive With Our Weekly Service Checks
 

• Have the home and property appear that someone is living on the premises 24/7.
• Interior and exterior security checks of all windows and doors including outer buildings.
• Interior checks for any water seepage in the crawlspace, basement or attic.
• Interior temperature monitoring to insure water lines do not freeze and to prevent the chance of fungal mould growth in areas of the home. 
• Removal of dangerous snow loads from the roof of the home, outer buildings and patio decks on a need to be basis.
• Informed of any items that need your attention to.

Service Rates

Winterize home for the winter:
 

1. Drain all hot and cold water service lines.
2. Drain water from hot water tank.
3. Apply plumbing antifreeze to all p-traps, toilets and sinks
4. Empty toilet tanks.
5. Keep heat system on low if required.
6. Lockup all windows and access doors.
7. Maintenance check all plumbing heat tape if used.
8. Drain all exposed in home water pressure well tank and components.
9. Shut down hot water tank, electrical or gas (pilot light).
10. Shut down main heating system, electrical or gas (pilot light), furnace or gas fireplace. 

Spring start up of the home:

1. Recharge hot and cold water lines.
2. Pressurize water supply tank.
3. Refill and startup gas or electrical hot water tank.
4. Clean furnace, system, components and start up furnace system. 

Winterize home for the winter:
a) Shuswap area. $100.00 plus cost of plumbing antifreeze.

Spring start up of the home:
a) Shuswap area. $100.00 

Winter checks of the home:
1. Shuswap:                 Monthly Rate.
a) Once per week:             $90.00
b) Twice per week:           $150.00

All rates are subject to GST.

Special Notes:
 

• Driveways plowed of snow if requested at additional cost.
• Additional charges may apply if significant snow loads have to be removed
• Furnace systems will not be shut down for the winter unless indicated by the home owner.
• Boiler systems for in floor water line heating systems will not be shut down or lines drained unless indicated by the home owner. Natural gas or electric types.
• Electric baseboard heaters will not be shut down for the winter unless indicated by the home owner. 
• An additional $100.00 will be charged for draining in floor heating water lines for natural gas boilers and electric type. (Additional time involved)
• Not personally liable for any damage sustained on the interior or exterior of the home due to natural causes, faulty equipment, old systems and components.

True Story To Seasonal Home Owner In The Shuswap

Two neighbors, one is heading for Arizona for the winter and is leaving at the beginning of October. His neighbor is staying for the winter as both he and his wife have employment in the Shuswap. As both of the neighbors are close friends, the neighbor that is heading to Arizona for the winter asks his neighbor friend if he would keep watch on his home every second or third day by visually observing the home on the interior and exterior as he pointed out it would be a relief in knowing someone is regularly checking on his home. Before the home owner left for Arizona, he had asked his neighbor to call once every two weeks to inform him on the condition of his home and reverse the charges. As usual, his neighbor friend volunteered with no objection and assured him not to worry as he will diligently check his home twice or more per week .

After a period of time, the home owner who left for Arizona realized in January that he had not received a phone call from his neighbor friend since the time he had left in early October even though he noted that his neighbor friend had cashed in the monthly cheque of $100.00 that he felt was just and fair for his neighbor as payment to check on his home two to three times per week. Through a family turn of events unexpectedly, the home owner had to come back to the Shuswap in the middle of February as there was a family crisis. After arriving to his home in the Shuswap, the home owner was in shock to what he had found. Later in the afternoon when his neighbor arrived home from work, he asked how things went and if there where any concerns with his home while he was gone.  His neighbor replied that all is well and that he had diligently checked the interior and the exterior of the home two to sometimes three times per week and even shoveled the snow five times off the whole roof and three times off the patio deck. His neighbor asked if he can be compensated for the snow removal he claimed he had performed even though there appears that there had been no snow removal at all.

The home owner asked his neighbor if he could show him something at the north west exterior side of his home, his neighbor obliged. As they approached the north west area of the home it was evident that his neighbor had not checked on the home owners home for sometime or not at all. Because what the home owner found shocked him in finding one of the tall trees had been uprooted from a late fall storm and has fallen on top of the roof causing not only damage to the roof, but had crashed through the attic and into the living room area. Not to say, the home owner and the neighbor where not on speaking terms any more.

The home owner contacted his insurance company  and assumed to have the insurance company assess the damage and have this area of the home repaired. Guess again. What transpired is this, the insurance company  had an insurance adjuster come to the home owners home to assess the damage and estimate the damages. To the adjuster, there appeared to be more then the normal amount of damage to the materials of the home. The insurance adjuster called in a forensic to assess the amount of the damage and time estimate when the tree had fallen on top of the roof. The forensic expert accounted that the time of the damaged had occurred three months earlier back in November as there was to much damage. Such as a totally flooded basement as there was no broken water lines (winterized) and that it was from melted snow early in the winter and rain which caused far more then normal damage if it had been observed within a 15 day time period. As there had been more then the usual damaged caused because there was a large gap from the roof leading to the interior side of the home, thus exposing this area of the home for many months to the winter weather.

Conclusion; wish there was a happy ending but the insurance company told the home owner that his insurance was not covering any of the damage to the home as the initial damage would have been covered had there been someone living on the premises at all times, or not away from the home for not more then 14 days or if the home was to be vacant for the whole of the winter to have a competent person to perform at least once or twice per week visual inspection checks of the home and property. 

Don't let this happen to you!