How Do You Prepare a San Miguel Home for a Long Absence?
Owner Guide
Closing up a house in San Miguel is a sequence, not a checklist you improvise on the last morning. Water gets shut at the main and drains get filled, electrical load drops to essentials, the roof and drains are cleared, soft goods are protected from damp, and someone local holds keys with written authority to act. Done properly it takes two hours and prevents most of what goes wrong in an empty house.
Close the main valve, then open taps to drain pressure from the lines so a failed seal cannot flood a room for weeks. Pour water into every unused drain and refill traps so sewer gas stays out. If irrigation is automatic, leave that circuit live and confirm the timer works before you go.
Whoever checks the house should reopen and reclose the supply on each visit. That is standard in our home watch routine.
Should you turn off the electricity?No. Leave power on for the water pump, alarm, cameras, and any dehumidifier, and switch off only the circuits you do not need. Unplug electronics against surges, empty and unplug the refrigerator, and shorten the pool pump timer so consumption does not creep into the higher tariff.
Our guide on how CFE & water bills work for absent owners explains that tariff issue in detail.
How do you protect the house from damp?Clear roof drains and canales first, since that is where damage starts. Inside, leave interior doors and closets open for air movement, lift upholstered pieces off cold exterior walls, store leather and textiles with desiccant, and place dehumidifiers in the rooms with the least ventilation.
If your absence covers June through September, read what happens to an empty house during rainy season before you leave.
What does the house need to look occupied?Timers on two or three interior lights with varied schedules, no visible mail or packages accumulating, a garden that stays maintained, and no note or auto-reply announcing your absence. Predictability is what an opportunist reads, so a house that changes slightly week to week is the goal.
Our guide on security checks for an absentee home covers the rest of that routine.
Who should hold keys and what authority do they need?One local contact with keys, alarm codes, and written authorization to enter and to approve emergency repairs up to an agreed amount. Without that spending limit in writing, a burst pipe waits for an email reply across a timezone while the water keeps running.
Leave the vendor list, utility account numbers, and insurance details with them. Our absentee owner service keeps all of it in one file per property.
What should be documented before you go?Photograph every room, the roof, the meter readings, and the condition of any known problem area. That record settles insurance questions and shows exactly what changed while you were away. Store it in the cloud, not on a laptop that travels with you.
Then set the inspection schedule before you fly. Arranging coverage from abroad after departure always costs more than arranging it beforehand.
Common Questions
Should you shut off the water before a long absence?
Yes. Close the main valve, drain line pressure through the taps, and refill every drain trap so sewer gas cannot enter the closed house.
Should the electricity stay on in an empty house?
Yes. The water pump, alarm, cameras, and dehumidifiers need power. Switch off unused circuits, unplug the refrigerator, and shorten the pool pump timer instead.
How do you stop damp damage while away?
Clear roof drains, leave interior doors and closets open, pull upholstery away from cold exterior walls, and run dehumidifiers in poorly ventilated rooms.
Who should hold keys while you are gone?
One local contact with keys, alarm codes, and written authority to enter and approve emergency repairs up to an agreed amount, plus your vendor and insurance details.
What should you document before leaving?
Photos of every room, the roof, meter readings, and any known problem area, stored in the cloud. It settles insurance questions and shows what changed.