How to Manage Vacation Homes - Do you really need a Property Management Company?

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"The family arrived to find their sink had been leaking for several months. You can imagine the damage! The water had streamed out of the kitchen and destroyed the beautiful hardwood floors in the main room. Replacement costs were in the thousands of dollars." You can avoid this!

"We have a friend with a second home in Kissimmee. They have a beautiful home on an exclusive Orlando resort that they visit at Christmas and in the Summer break. It’s only 10 miles from Walt Disney World and it’s a beautiful state with many great real estate bargains to be had. They got a large lot, great views and a private pool for a very reasonable price… at least to us Brits where you couldn’t even get a 1-bed studio in the bad part of London for the same price!

After being away for most of the year the family arrived at Orlando International Airport only to discover there had been a slow drip in the kitchen which had leaked for many months. The leak had turned into a stream and worked it’s way off the tile floor in the kitchen to flood the beautiful hardwood floors in the main living area. The damage was extensive.

The mold on the tiles cleaned up easily, but the floor boards were ruined – even underneath the concrete floor was soaked and moldy, which had to be cleaned up by a professional mold cleaning company to make sure there were no dangerous spores left which could affect the family.

The floor boards were warped and rotten and had to be replaced at a cost of thousands of dollars and the family’s holiday was ruined because no-one was watching their home while they were away."

The Cure

Hire a professional local property management company. There are specialist companies who offer caretaking and management services for your Orlando real estate investment. The management style is a little different from residential property managers or commercial property managers as the property is expected to be vacant for a long period. These firms have service packages designed to deal with the unique needs of a Florida vacation rental property.

You should look for a property manager who offers:

Bi-weekly check-up visits to your property
Visits before and after all major storms to be sure the house is adequately shuttered and that any damage can be assessed and repaired immediately
A cap on maximum repair amounts, so that all major expenses have to be approved by you. You should receive all receipts for repairs which cost more than the set figure, which should be around $750.
Marketing packages. Some management companies offer marketing services which will ensure that you get extra bookings for your property, which is extra cash in your pocket.
Be sure they provide regularly scheduled cleaning and maintenance services

About our Orlando Property Management Service

Stoneman Vacation Villas is dedicated to providing the best property management service in Orlando. We take care of multiple villas along the US 27 and US 192, and we are local property owners ourselves so we know the issues that any homeowner is facing.

We offer short term vacation rental property management and marketing services to property owners in the Orlando area. Please contact us with any questions you may have, whether you’re a seasoned property owner looking to get more bookings or even if you’re just thinking about buying Orlando real estate.

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The Cure

You should look for a property manager who offers:

About our Orlando Property Management Service

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