Part 6 – Services required to keep your vacation home “up and running” (Part 3)
- A/C Maintenance
Life in Southwest Florida would be much different without Air Conditioning; the heat and humidity of the subtropical environment demand air conditioning to avoid overheating, moisture, and a subsequent mold problem inside the home. It’s always a good idea to get a maintenance contract with a licensed provider to have the system serviced on a regular schedule e.g. twice a year. Having a contract usually saves cost on parts if repair is necessary and can make a difference in regards to your place on the waiting list when your A/C dies on the hottest day of summer. Without contract the wait can be days and guests don’t want to stay inside a 90 degree F hot home with about as much humidity; the home-owner may well end up paying for their hotel stay. The A/C filters in the home should also be changed regularly; the property manager will usually take care of this.
- Pool Care
The pool is the one of the most important features in a rental home in Florida. It needs to be well maintained, clean and sparkling at all times; to keep it that way it needs to be serviced once a week. A professional pool service will check the water chemistry and add whatever is necessary e.g. Chlorine to keep that crystal clear blue lagoon of yours in shape. The filter needs to be clean on a regular basis and the walls and bottom require brushing and vacuuming.
- Yard- and Lawn Service
The appearance of your lawn depends on the kind of grass in your yard. There are a lot of different kinds and they all have their pro’s and con’s. All of them have different properties and require different care e.g. fertilization or aeration. The most important lesson to learn in Southwest Florida is: especially during the subtropical summer months of the rainy season everything grows fast. The lawn must be mowed once a week during the summer months and at least every other week during the winter. Trimming and pruning of hedges and shrubbery depends on the selection of plants. Hedges are perfect to ensure privacy and are usually more attractive as a fence; the climate keeps them evergreen but they require attention and trimming if you want them to look pretty which adds to the maintenance cost.
