Handing over the care of a home hundreds or thousands of kilometres away takes more than a reasonable quote: it takes trust. And trust isn't built on promises, but on concrete answers. Before you choose who to give your keys to, it's worth sitting down calmly and asking the right questions.
These ten questions will help you compare property management services in Gran Canaria — or anywhere else — against clear criteria. There are no universally right answers. What matters is that the answers are clear, that they fit what you need and that you can have them in writing.
1. What exactly does the service include, and what's left out?
‘Full management’ can mean very different things depending on who's saying it. Ask for a specific list: supervision visits, cleaning, preventive maintenance, coordinating repairs, key holding, looking after guests or tenants, paperwork. Above all, ask what isn't included and how it's handled when you need it. Surprises tend to hide in what nobody mentioned.
2. Who will be my point of contact?
When something happens at your home, you want to speak to someone who knows it, not explain the whole story from scratch every time. Ask whether you'll have a dedicated contact, how you can reach them, which languages you can communicate in and what happens when they're unavailable. A single point of contact who coordinates all the suppliers makes managing from a distance far simpler.
3. How often is the property visited, and what gets checked?
The right frequency depends on each home: its location, its age, whether it has a pool or garden, whether it's let out or stands empty for long periods. What matters is that there's a protocol. Ask them to explain what's checked on each visit — damp, plumbing, electrics, locks, outdoor areas — and whether the frequency can be adjusted at particular times, for example after a storm or before you arrive.
4. How and when will I be kept informed?
Transparency is what turns a management service into genuine peace of mind. Ask what kind of report you'll receive and how often, whether it includes photos, how incidents are logged and whether you can view your property's history. Ask for an example. A good report takes two minutes to read and makes it clear what's fine, what needs attention and what's been done.
5. What happens in an emergency?
A water leak on a Sunday night is the acid test for any service. Ask how emergencies are detected and reported, who acts, with which professionals and what response times you can reasonably expect. Agree, too, on the situations in which they can act without waiting for your go-ahead, so that an urgent decision isn't held up by distance or the time difference.
6. How are keys kept and logged?
The keys to your home are much more than an object. Ask where they're kept, whether they're labelled in a way that doesn't reveal the address, who can access them and whether every handover and every use is recorded. If the property hosts guests, ask too how check-ins and check-outs are organised and what happens if a key is lost.
7. Who decides on repairs and spending?
Striking the balance between speed and control is a delicate matter. You don't want a small repair waiting weeks for your approval, but nor do you want to discover costs you never authorised. Clarify how quotes are presented, whether you'll be offered alternatives where possible, which professionals they usually work with and how they check the work has been done properly: before-and-after photos, a follow-up visit, or both.
8. How are costs presented?
Beyond the amount itself, look at how clear it is. Ask which items are fixed and which are variable, how materials and third-party work are invoiced and how often you'll receive a breakdown. A transparent service has no problem explaining every line. Be wary of quotes that are hard to compare and of vague items you can't match to anything.
9. Can the service coordinate with my tax and administrative advisers?
Owning a property also means paperwork: bills, utilities, community fees, insurance and obligations that depend on your personal circumstances. Whoever manages the house has much of that information to hand. Ask whether the service can organise that documentation and share it with your adviser, or whether it works in coordination with a professional advisory firm. The point isn't for the manager to act as your adviser, but for the information to reach the person who needs to assess it — complete and on time.
10. What does the contract say about insurance, term and cancellation?
Finally, read the small print before you sign. Ask whether the company holds public liability insurance for its activity and how that fits with your home insurance, how long the contract lasts, how it renews and how much notice you need to give to cancel. Ask, too, what happens to the keys, the documentation and the property's history if you ever decide to switch provider.
How to use these questions
There's no need to turn the first conversation into an interrogation. Choose the questions that matter most to you, listen to how they're answered and pay attention to the details: whether you get concrete answers or generalities, whether they give you examples, whether they explain what they don't do as clearly as what they do.
Notice, too, what isn't said in words. The speed and care with which your first enquiry is answered are usually a good indication of how they'll respond on the day you have a problem.
Good remote management doesn't show on the quiet days, but in how things are put right on the day something goes wrong.
If you're thinking of handing over the care of your home in Gran Canaria, our page for owners explains how we work. And you can put these very questions to us when you request information: it's exactly the conversation we want to have with you.
