This section will discuss some of the maintenance issues associated with second home ownership and how they differ from those encountered at a main residence, looking at tips and ways to avoid problems.

This broad-ranging subject can be approached in two ways when it comes to holiday homes; proactive and reactive. And the primary concern for owners is how to manage any planned or unforeseen issues from possibly hundreds of miles away.

Will this involve many long and unplanned trips to the property, taking time out from your normal commitments at short notice? So what are the maintenance issues and how can they be addressed?

Security can be a concern for owners where the property is unoccupied for prolonged periods of time. Is there a risk of burglary, vandalism or squatting at the property? And how can these risk be minimised? This may affect where and which property you choose to buy; the remote cottage or the apartment in the centre of a seaside town. Also check your contents and buildings insurance is appropriate for unoccupied properties.

Repairs, planned or unplanned, may be required during your period of ownership. Identifying a network of tradesmen in the area to include a plumber, electrician and so on maybe a practical action point early on in the ownership experience. And this again depends on the type of property you own, where for example, an apartment in a block will be overseen by a management company or a lodge on a holiday complex will have certain maintenance tasks included in an annual service charge.

Other maintenance issues may include gardening, decorating the external and internal of the property, and servicing the boiler.

One solution may be to employ a keyholder in the local area who can key an eye on the property and let tradesmen in as and when required. A number of companies now operate such services across the country and can provide different levels of service from basic keyholding to a full management service to remove the hassle from ownership.