Property maintenance for non-resident owners on the Costa Blanca

Many British, Dutch, German and Scandinavian owners buy a Costa Blanca property they only use a few weeks a year. The rest of the time the home stands empty, and that is where the trouble starts: the Mediterranean climate, the coastal humidity and simple lack of use wear a house down far faster than you would expect. A maintenance and keyholding service is designed to take exactly that worry off your hands.

What happens to a home left closed for months

An empty house is not on pause: it is still exposed to sun, salt, rain and humidity. With nobody checking on it, a small problem becomes an expensive breakdown before your next trip. These are the risks we see most often in non-resident homes across the province of Alicante.

• Damp and condensation: with no ventilation, coastal humidity builds up and you get stains, mould and a musty smell in walls and wardrobes.
• Water leaks: a dripping seal or hose can flood the property and ruin floors and furniture over weeks with nobody there to notice.
• A green pool: untreated water turns green within days in the heat, and recovering it costs far more than keeping it clear.
• Pests: cockroaches, ants, wasps or rodents find a closed house the perfect place to move in undisturbed.
• Idle systems: blinds, pumps, air conditioning and the boiler seize up from lack of use if they are never run.
• Security: a home with a full mailbox and permanently closed shutters is an easy target for squatters and burglars.

What a maintenance and keyholding service covers

A good maintenance service goes well beyond "popping in for a look". We hold a copy of your keys securely and carry out scheduled visits following a full inspection routine, documenting every check in writing and with photographs.

• Regular checks of the whole home: services, ceilings, windows, taps and any sign of damp or a leak.
• Ventilating and airing the rooms to prevent mould and stale smells, opening and closing the shutters.
• Checking the pool and coordinating water treatment so you never arrive to a green pool.
• Small repairs sorted on the spot: a seal, a bulb, a blocked drain or a dropped blind.
• Coordinating trades when a plumber, electrician or glazier is needed, supervising their work on your behalf.
• Getting the home ready before you arrive: switching on the hot water, airing it, testing the air conditioning and leaving it ready to walk into.
• A photo report after every visit, emailed to you so you can see the real condition of your home wherever you are.

Peace of mind from a distance: how we work with overseas owners

We know that managing a house thousands of kilometres away is stressful, especially with a language barrier. That is why you get a single point of contact who speaks English and coordinates everything for you. Every visit is documented with photographs, and any issue is reported with options and a quote before we act, so the decision is always yours.

• Communication by email and video call, arranged around your time zone.
• Photo reports you can keep as a running history of the property.
• A quote in advance for any repair beyond routine maintenance, with no surprises.
• An immediate alert if there is an emergency such as a leak or storm damage.

Protecting your home from the Costa Blanca climate

The Costa Blanca climate is gentle, but it has specific enemies for a house: the salt in the sea air corrodes hinges and locks, the torrential autumn rains (the "gota fría") test roofs, gutters and downpipes, and the summer heat drives pool evaporation and algae growth. Regular visits are planned around these seasons, stepping up the checks exactly when your home needs them most.

What determines the cost of a maintenance service

There is no single tariff, because every home and every owner has different needs. These are the factors that define the scope and therefore the cost of your service.

• How often the visits take place: fortnightly, monthly or only in season.
• The type of property: an apartment with no outdoor space is not the same as a villa with garden and pool.
• Whether there is a pool, garden or green areas that need specific attention.
• The distance and access to the property within the province of Alicante.
• Extra services such as receiving parcels, preparing the home before you arrive or managing utilities.

Want to know what it would cost to look after your home while you are away? We visit the property, assess its real needs and prepare a maintenance plan and a personalised, no-obligation quote, backed by our own in-house team and a 2-year guarantee on the repairs we carry out.