[jrdonn]

We will be leaving our home in northern Ohio for the winter, it will be vacant and for sale as we don't intend on returning.

What can you snowbirds advise us for leaving the home in the brutal winter months empty.

The realtor will continue to show the home and have open houses

I plan on shutting off the water, turning down the heat to 65 degrees, putting the water heater on low and leaving the window shades open. The home will be empty until sold.

A neighbor will check on and walk through the home every week or ten days.

What am I missing in your opinion? I have much trepidation about leaving an empty home in the winter however we have bought a home in the Villages and never plan on returning to Ohio.

Thanks in advance for the help.

[Chatbrat]

TURN THE WATER HEATER OFF--pump potable anti freeze thru the water system--lower heat to 45--leave all cabinets, & refrigerator OPEN--turn off every circuit breaker except the one for HEAT--just like winterizing a boat or a RV

[JoMar]

Snow removal might be a consideration.

[GolfGirl122]

If you are continuing to show the house, leave a lamp or two in rooms with no overhead lighting. It gets dark early in the winter and makes showing a house much easier. Turn the water off, but show the realtor how to turn the water on/off for open house, and run the dishwasher, washer etc. Heat can be set at 55 and you're lucky to have a neighbor check on things every now and then. Like mentioned earlier, arrange for snow removal and leave some salt for the sidewalk handy. Leave small notes near thermostat and in bathrooms indicating temp permanently set and no water so showing agents don't change the temp and know that the water is turned off in the house. Good luck hope you sell quickly and congrats on your new home in TV.

[CFrance]

Have the neighbor check the house after any realtor shows it. Our realtor swore he would check our condo after each showing when we were away for a month. But he didn't. Our neighbor alerted us to a slider that was left totally open while we were gone, and we came home to an unflushed toilet in the master bath.

Needless to say, we took the house off the market and re-listed with a better realtor the next year.

[blueash]

You're selling your house. You want buyers to have a positive experience when they walk into the home. The couple hundred dollars you are saving per month in turning the heat almost off seems more likely to turn visitors off and lessen their initial impression. Empty is bad enough, but cold and empty? Every month it sits on the market is costing you a lot of money. Heat, water, insurance, property taxes, lawn and snow care. And of course the possibility that something expensive will need fixing or replacement. So I would focus not on how to save a few dollars in the short term but rather how to sell it quickly and be willing to accept the lowest offer you can live with. Get it over with and move here with no left over Ohio home concerns.

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by blueash

You're selling your house. You want buyers to have a positive experience when they walk into the home. The couple hundred dollars you are saving per month in turning the heat almost off seems more likely to turn visitors off and lessen their initial impression. Empty is bad enough, but cold and empty? Every month it sits on the market is costing you a lot of money. Heat, water, insurance, property taxes, lawn and snow care. And of course the possibility that something expensive will need fixing or replacement. So I would focus not on how to save a few dollars in the short term but rather how to sell it quickly and be willing to accept the lowest offer you can live with. Get it over with and move here with no left over Ohio home concerns.

I was thinkin' the same thing.

[CFrance]

Originally Posted by blueash

You're selling your house. You want buyers to have a positive experience when they walk into the home. The couple hundred dollars you are saving per month in turning the heat almost off seems more likely to turn visitors off and lessen their initial impression. Empty is bad enough, but cold and empty? Every month it sits on the market is costing you a lot of money. Heat, water, insurance, property taxes, lawn and snow care. And of course the possibility that something expensive will need fixing or replacement. So I would focus not on how to save a few dollars in the short term but rather how to sell it quickly and be willing to accept the lowest offer you can live with. Get it over with and move here with no left over Ohio home concerns.

I was thinking the same thing too. People who come into look at a cold house rush through and can't wait to get out. I would keep the heat at least 65 so it feels warmer when you walk in. Keep the driveway and walk shoveled.

[The Gerbs]

And have lots of lights on. Some realtors can "stage" a house for you. Makes it look lived in. Some people have no imagination, without seeing a house with furniture... With an empty/cold house, many potential buyers think it's a distressed property or divorce/death situation and can low-ball a price. You want your available home to be warm and inviting so the prospective buyers can actually see themselves living in the house... Good luck

[vlm790]

Put toilet lid down with a sign saying water has been turned off. Have neighbor check after everyone leaves. Agents sometimes let people wander through home while they wait in car or make phone calls.