Decide how the home will be used
Start with how long you expect to be away and whether you will return for weekends or holidays. A home that stays in use needs a different plan from one closing for an extended period. Identify which seasonal tasks must support those planned returns. Share your expected departure and return in the request; access arrangements come later through the agreed process.
- Mark the rooms and outdoor areas that will remain in use.
- List existing service arrangements and unfinished work.
- Identify the owner contact for questions and approvals.
Agree the systems work separately
List heating, plumbing, outdoor showers, irrigation and pool needs with any known equipment concerns. Ask appropriately qualified providers to establish the shutdown, winterization, maintenance or continued-use scope for each system. An opening or closing request does not automatically include every system.
Explore seasonal systems coordination and pool and exterior care. Keep the provider’s completed-work record separate from a visual visit. New Jersey’s winter preparedness guidance also recommends professional heating-system inspection.
Make an outdoor care list
Note leaves or debris, garden needs, outdoor furniture, storage areas and visible concerns around paths, fences or drainage. Describe the work you want reviewed without assuming that cleaning, hauling or repairs are part of another service. Lawn, garden and seasonal cleanup care can be scoped around how the property will be used. Roof, tree, pool and other specialist work needs its own review.
Separate repairs from observations
Record what you have noticed, where it is and what decision you need. A sticking gate, damaged screen or unfinished paint job can go on a repair and project list. Prioritize items you want considered before departure and those that can wait for a proposed later date. A photo or observation helps explain a concern; it does not establish a diagnosis or completed repair.
Choose the closing clean
Decide which rooms, kitchen surfaces, bathrooms and floors need attention after the last stay. Identify buildup, appliance interiors, delicate finishes or product preferences for separate review. House cleaning, linens, restocking and disposal are distinct tasks to agree. If you expect another visit, note the difference between the departure clean and any cleaning you may want before returning.
Agree the plan for time away
For Care Visits between stays, agree timing, accessible areas, observations, photos and the owner contact. A Care Visit is a scheduled limited visual observation, not continuous monitoring, a formal inspection or emergency response. It cannot guarantee detection or prevention.
Keep one list of approved work, completed tasks, areas not observed and decisions still open. Haven organizes the agreed next steps and updates. Scope, provider, agreement, charges and responsibility are reviewed before approval; coverage and timing are confirmed for the proposed work.