Northern Virginia Residential Blog-Samson Realty

10 Tips to save your money during rental vacancy period

Here's 10 ideas that I use when I enter into a rental unit that has been vacated from a past tenant:

1) Save on utility bills! I turn down the refrigerator settings (they're usually cranked all the way up from the tenant).

2) Set the furnace at a lower heat setting, again, you don't need to be heating up a vacant home; but keep it warm enough to not freeze pipes, and be able to warm it up quickly for a showing.

3) Check the furnace filter.  Most of the time, tenants will not perform a routine changing of the filter, even if you supply them with one.

4) Lock all of the windows, and double check the doors, for security reasons.

5) Turn down the water heater to 'vacation' setting.

6) Close all of the storm windows, if applicable.

7) Close heat vents in rooms that don't need to be open, as to push the heat towards the room with the thermostat located in it.

8) As for thermostats, swap out the old style mercury stats with a digital, timer controlled unit... since you only need it warmer during the day for potential showings.  Set the timer to warm up during evenings and weekends

9) You might want to place a lamp in the main living area , place a low wattage, energy efficient bulb in it, and put it on a timer.

10) Change the locks, even if the tenant has given you back all of the keys you first gave them.  You never know who may have a copy.

Hope this helps,

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