How to look after an empty home in Gran Canaria: a seasonal checklist

A home that stands empty for weeks or months doesn't simply go ‘on pause’. Sea air keeps working on the metalwork, damp finds the most poorly ventilated corners, and even a small leak has plenty of time to turn into a serious problem. The good news is that almost all of it can be prevented with routine: checking the same things, in the same order, and keeping a record of what you find.

This guide brings together general good practice for looking after an empty home in Gran Canaria. It's no substitute for an inspection by a qualified professional, but it will help you organise visits — your own, or those of whoever looks after the house for you — and know what to look for at each time of year.

Before you leave: get the house ready

Good maintenance starts on the day you leave. Spending an hour closing up the house properly saves you plenty of surprises when you come back.

• Empty and clean the fridge. If you're switching it off, leave the door ajar to prevent odours and mould.
• Decide what stays on and what doesn't. The electric water heater, appliances you don't need and chargers can be switched off; the fridge, the alarm or the irrigation may need to keep running.
• Turn off the main water stopcock if nothing depends on it. If there's automatic irrigation or pool equipment, check which circuits need to stay open.
• Store textiles in ventilated wardrobes or breathable covers, never in sealed plastic bags.
• Bring in or protect outdoor furniture, awnings and parasols.
• Take photos of every room, the meters and any vulnerable spots. They'll be your reference point to compare against on each visit.

Damp and ventilation: the silent enemy

On an island surrounded by ocean, humidity is part of the landscape. It isn't spread evenly across the island — the north and higher areas tend to be more humid than the south — but any closed-up house builds up stale air. That's where musty smells, stains on walls and ceilings, and mould in wardrobes and mattresses take hold.

• Air the house thoroughly on every visit. Open windows on opposite sides for a while to create a through-draught.
• Check the cold spots: ceiling corners, walls behind large furniture, built-in wardrobes and windowless bathrooms.
• Consider a dehumidifier if the property has little natural ventilation. If you use disposable moisture absorbers, replace them when they're full.
• Leave doors ajar, both interior doors and wardrobe doors, so that air can circulate.
• Track down the source of any stains. Damp can come from condensation, a leak or moisture from the ground, and each calls for a different solution.

Salt air and corrosion in homes near the sea

Living by the Atlantic comes at a price, and it's mostly the metalwork that pays it. Salt-laden air leaves a fine film that, over time, corrodes fittings, railings, hinges, locks and outdoor air-conditioning units. In a lived-in home, daily use masks the process; in an empty one, it advances without anyone noticing.

• Rinse exterior metalwork and glass with fresh water to remove the salt before it builds up.
• Lubricate locks, hinges, sliding-door tracks and shutters with a product suited to each material.
• Inspect railings, fixings and bolts: a small spot of rust is easy to treat; widespread rust can compromise safety.
• Check the outdoor air-conditioning unit and protect it according to the manufacturer's instructions.
• Check the seals and silicone around exterior windows and doors: if they crack, water and salt get in.

Water and plumbing: small leaks, big damage

Water is behind many of the costliest problems in empty homes, because nobody sees the first drop. Plumbing deserves its own section on every visit.

1. With all the taps turned off, look at the water meter. If it's moving, there's a leak somewhere in the system.
2. Run the taps and shower for a few minutes and flush the toilets. This refreshes the water in the pipes and refills the traps, which let drain smells through when they dry out.
3. Look under sinks and basins, around the toilets and behind the washing machine for stains, limescale or swollen wood.
4. Check the ceilings, especially those beneath bathrooms and terraces.
5. If there's a water tank or pressure pump, check that it runs without any unusual noises.

Appliances and systems

• Check that any fridge or freezer left switched on is staying cold and that there's no water on the floor.
• Run the washing machine and dishwasher on a short cycle from time to time: rubber seals suffer when they stay dry for long periods.
• Take a look at the fuse box. If a switch has tripped, it's worth finding out why before simply flicking it back on.
• Test the smoke detectors and change the batteries as the manufacturer recommends.
• Check and clean the air-conditioning filters before using it after a period out of use.

Outdoors: terrace, garden and pool

• Clear terrace drains, gutters and gullies. Built-up leaves and dust can lead to standing water with the first heavy rain.
• Check the irrigation: blocked drippers, timers with flat batteries or leaks that waterlog part of the garden.
• If there's a pool, keep up the treatment and filtration as your pool technician advises. A pool left unattended for a few weeks can take a lot of work to bring back.
• Check awnings, pergolas and cushions, and secure anything the wind could move.

Security: don't let the house look empty

• Check doors, windows and shutters, and look for any signs of attempted forced entry.
• Empty the letterbox and clear away any flyers piled up at the entrance.
• If you have an alarm, check that it works and that the alert contacts are up to date.
• Vary the position of some shutters or use light timers to give a sense of activity.
• Keep a record of who has keys and when they're used.

Seasonal checklist

Gran Canaria's climate is mild all year round, but each season brings its own tasks. Adapt this list to your home and the area it's in.

Autumn: get the house ready for the rain

• Clean roofs, gutters, downpipes and terrace drains.
• Check the seals on windows, doors and skylights.
• Look for stains or cracks on façades and ceilings that might point to leaks.

Winter: keep an eye on damp

• Air the house more often, especially in the north and in higher areas.
• Check wardrobes, mattresses and textiles.
• Keep an eye on dehumidifiers and on any condensation on windows and cold walls.

Spring: a deep clean and a once-over

• Clean the outside and rinse the metalwork after months of wind, salt and the occasional bout of calima, the airborne dust that sometimes blows in from Africa.
• Check and clean the air-conditioning filters.
• Get the garden, irrigation and pool ready before summer.

Summer: sun and heat

• Protect textiles and furniture from direct sun with shutters, blinds or covers.
• Check the pool more often: heat speeds up evaporation and the growth of algae.

Record every visit

An inspection that isn't recorded can't be compared. Note the date, what was checked and any issues, with photos always taken from the same spots. Over time you'll build up a history that helps you spot slow changes — a stain that's growing, rust that's spreading — and make informed decisions.

If you can't make these visits yourself, find someone who will carry them out methodically and tell you what they see. At Canarias Property Management we organise home supervision with regular inspections and report back to you after every visit, so you know how your home is doing even when you're far away.