Make your home a smart home. Smart vacation rentals are much easier to manage than old-fashioned ones. Consider features like:
Exterior cameras
Smartlocks & exterior lighting
Nest thermostat heating cooling system
Ring doorbell
Wifi-enabled hot tubs. They save energy while regulating temps!
Be water safe. Prevent pipes freezing and floods:
Get your water shut off valve inspected by a professional
Make sure the valve is updated to new code requirements
Shut off water in the winter months or when your home is not in use for longer than 2 weeks
Secure trash and recycling while avoiding extra fees
Have a plan for avoiding overage charges for excessive trash
All boxes and all recyclables should be in blue secured bags separate from your 33-gallon trash bins in your bear box
Use your free 6 yards of green waste allotment each season
Take advantage of the new green waste drop-off located next to the rodeo arena.
Save money with insulating window coverings and get these benefits
Ensure privacy
Keep heat in during the winter and sun out during the summer
Make sure snow doesn’t block your guests’ way!
Secure your plow service early in the fall to get the best price possible
Stay on top of snow removal from decks, walkways, and hot tubs.
Know the snow load of your roof
Shovel roofs during heavy snow load years
Keep extra shovels and brooms for snow and ice removal in high traffic areas
Be fire safe and keep your home insurance
Do a spring clean up each year to ensure defensible space around the perimeter of your home
Convert to a gas stove or fireplace. Wood burning stoves for fireplaces are more expensive and harder to insure in many areas in Tahoe
Buy a protective metal mesh covering for outdoor gas firepits to block needles, pine cones, and other ignitable debris from sparking a wildfire
Take care of your driveway.
Driveways should be resealed every 2 years to prevent the pavement from drying out
Repair all cracks and potholes
Pressure wash your driveway every spring and summer to keep those rodents and pests away
Make sure wasp and hornet traps are set and re-bated every few weeks. They should be placed in high sun exposure areas around the outdoor living areas like patios and decks
Inspect and identify points of entry for mice and squirrels regularly
Fill any cracks or exposed openings with raw material like wood, Quikrete, silicon, metal scrub brush material
Move wood piles back so they are at least 30ft from the house since firewood piles are great nesting spots for rodents
Maintain your irrigation
Irrigation should be winterized in the fall and turned back on in late spring
Check irrigation every spring for loose or broken drip fittings
Inspect sprinkler heads for damage
Check for burn spots and move irrigation for better coverage if needed
Professionally wash your windows every spring and fall to keep a clear view from all vantage points in your home
Pressure wash the exterior of your home to knock down dirt grime and debris
Remove and clean all screens
Hand clean windows with 0000 steel wool and squeegee
Only work on windows while they are not in direct sun
