Preparing an Italian home before you leave
Review windows, water, electricity, waste, accessible systems, post and outdoor areas. Record meter readings and decide who may enter if something happens.
Read the checklist →For overseas homeowners
Practical guidance for looking after a home in Italy.
Short, clear resources on what to check, how to organise access and how to avoid preventable problems when a property is empty for long periods.
Start with the essentials
Three decisions that make remote ownership easier.
Good property care begins before an urgent problem. A documented routine, clear authority and the right local contact reduce uncertainty and unnecessary travel.
Home Watch or rental property management?
Home Watch checks and protects an unoccupied home for its owner. Rental management focuses on listings, bookings, guests and income. The two services solve different problems.
Understand the difference →What a useful property report should contain
A good report identifies the visit, shows representative photographs, separates urgent issues from observations and records any authorised action.
See what to request →Guide 01
Before leaving the property empty.
- Agree which utilities remain active and which controls must not be changed.
- Close and photograph accessible windows, shutters and doors.
- Remove perishable items and leave the property clean enough to reveal new odours or pests.
- Record accessible meter readings, boiler pressure and warning indicators.
- Arrange collection or scanning of post and condominium notices.
- Provide written instructions for emergencies, contractors and spending authority.
- Schedule the first visit soon enough to identify any settling-in problem.
Guide 02
Home Watch is care for an absent owner.
CasaOK performs scheduled visual visits, records apparent issues and coordinates only the practical actions you authorise. It does not advertise the home, manage reservations, collect rent or communicate with guests.
Why the distinction matters: if your priority is protecting and maintaining your own second home, a focused Home Watch service avoids paying for commercial rental functions you do not need.
Guide 03
A report should help you decide what to do next.
- Date, approximate time and identity of the operator.
- Areas checked and any item that could not be accessed.
- Representative rather than repetitive photographs.
- Clear separation between normal condition, observation and anomaly.
- Suggested priority and whether immediate owner authority is needed.
- Record of any minor task or contractor access completed during the visit.
Would a local inspection routine make ownership easier?
Tell us where the home is and how long it is normally left empty.