What to expect
| Typical duration | Scheduled visits · works to suit your calendar |
|---|---|
| Cost band | Figures live in the cost index |
| Permit required | Depends on the work |
| Seasonal constraint | Winter checks matter most |
The winter your house has without you
Between October and April a closed villa faces storms, driven rain, damp, and small failures that nobody notices. What turns up most often, in order:
- Blocked terrace outlets and gutters, which turn a terrace into a pond that finds the weakest point in the waterproofing.
- Storm damage — furniture, umbrellas, pergola fabric and anything loose, which also causes damage where it lands.
- Damp and mould in a sealed building with no ventilation through a wet winter.
- A leak running unnoticed. A burst supply pipe in an empty house can run for weeks. See smart home for leak detection with automatic shut-off.
- Seized locks and corroded hardware, which is the reason you cannot open your own door in May.
- Pool neglect, which turns a modest winter maintenance cost into a spring recovery. See pool maintenance.
A monthly check through the winter, and one after any significant storm, catches all of these. Each visit comes with a written report and photographs so you can decide from wherever you are.
Arriving to a house that is ready
The pattern that works is a defect list kept through the year and a preparation visit before you arrive.
- Systems tested rather than assumed: water pressure, hot water, air conditioning, pool.
- Small jobs done in one visit rather than three separate trade call-outs — a dripping tap, a sticking door, a failed light, a loose handle. See property maintenance.
- Property aired and dehumidified so it does not smell of a closed winter.
- Terraces and external areas cleaned of the winter's dust and salt.
- Anything that needs a part ordered well in advance, because a part arriving by ferry is not a same-week fix.
Doing works around your calendar
Owners understandably want works done while they are not here, which on this island is exactly when the crews are busiest with hotel refurbishment.
The practical answer is booking early. Work agreed in September for a January start is straightforward; the same work requested in December for January is competing with every hotel on the island. Autumn is the moment to decide what next year looks like.
Where a project is large enough to run over more than one closed season, we will say so and phase it rather than compressing it into a window it does not fit.
What is worth spending on
Villa owners frequently ask what actually improves the experience of the house rather than its appearance. Our honest list:
- Shading and outdoor shelter. More usable outdoor hours than any other intervention, for modest money. See landscaping.
- Roof insulation. The biggest single comfort gain in August. See insulation.
- Leak detection with an automatic shut-off valve. Cheap insurance against the most damaging thing that can happen while you are away.
- Fixing damp properly rather than repainting. It comes back otherwise, every year. See damp and humidity.
- Getting the water system right — pressure, storage, treatment. It affects every day you are here. See plumbing.
Questions people actually ask
How often should the house be checked in winter?
Monthly, plus after any significant storm. The post-storm visit is the highest-value one of the year.
Can you hold keys?
Yes, with a documented handover. Having someone on the island who can get in is the whole point of the arrangement.
Can you get the house ready before I arrive?
Yes, and it works best with a list kept through the year and a preparation visit booked in advance rather than the week before.
When should I book works?
Autumn, for the following closed season. Requesting January works in December means competing with the island's entire hotel refurbishment programme.
Do you manage rentals as well?
This covers the building — maintenance, repairs, preparation, emergencies. Guest and booking management is a different business and you are better served by a specialist. See short-term rental hosts.