Property management Marbella: keeping your second home in order while you are away

Picture it: you come back in April after a winter in the UK or the Netherlands. You open the front door and the first thing you notice is a musty smell. There is a brown ring on the bedroom ceiling and the freezer went quiet weeks ago. Good property management Marbella owners can rely on keeps surprises like these small, because someone spots them while you are away. In this guide it means looking after the home itself, not managing holiday lets.

In short:

• From November to March, humidity on the coast is often high; a closed-up home grows mould quickly.
• Have an empty home checked every 2 weeks in most seasons, every 2–4 weeks in spring.
• After a storm or a DANA, an extra check within 24–48 hours is sensible.
• Do not simply shut everything off when you leave: water, power and ventilation need a plan.
• Property care is about the house itself; rental management is about guests and bookings.

What quietly goes wrong when nobody is looking

• Mould behind closed shutters. Moisture settles on cold walls, inside wardrobes and in mattresses. Without ventilation, black spots appear within a few months.
• A flooded azotea. A DANA can bring more rain in a few hours than normally falls in a month. If the drain of a flat roof is blocked with leaves or sand, the water finds its way in through joints and window frames.
• A tripped diferencial. When the earth-leakage switch trips after a thunderstorm or a fault, it usually does not reset itself. Fridge, freezer, pool pump and alarm then stay off.
• A toilet that keeps running. A cistern float valve that does not close properly can use water for weeks. So can a loose irrigation pipe.
• Cockroaches and processionary caterpillars. Dry traps let in sewer smells and cockroaches. Around pine trees, processionary caterpillars come down from their nests roughly between January and April, and their hairs can harm children and dogs.
• A parched garden, a green pool. If irrigation fails in summer, the plants are lost within days. An unattended pool turns within a few weeks.

How often? Property management Marbella through the seasons

The right rhythm differs from home to home. A villa with a pool and garden needs more visits than an apartment, and your insurer may have its own conditions. As a starting point:

• October–November: every 2 weeks. Keep roof drains clear and check after heavy showers.
• December–February: every 2 weeks. Ventilation, damp and the earth-leakage switch.
• March–May: every 2–4 weeks. Processionary caterpillars, starting up garden and irrigation, preparing the pool.
• June–September: every 2 weeks. Irrigation, water use, the air-con condensate drain.
• After extreme weather: ideally within a day or two, to look over roofs, windows, basements and trees.

Pool servicing runs on a separate rhythm; in summer that usually means a weekly visit. If your home is in a wooded part of Marbella or Benahavís, ask the town hall whether rules apply on keeping vegetation around the house in check because of the wildfire risk.

Before you leave: four things to do differently

1. Do not seal the house completely. Leave a ventilation grille open or install a dehumidifier that drains through a hose.
2. Turn off the water selectively. If the irrigation, pool or heat pump share the house supply, have a separate valve fitted. The house can then be shut off while the garden still gets water.
3. Switch off only the circuits you do not need. The alarm, cameras, dehumidifier and pool pump all need power.
4. Empty the fridge and freezer. Clean them and leave the doors ajar, so nothing can spoil or go mouldy during a power cut.

It is also worth reading your policy: it may contain clauses about homes left empty for long periods.

Neighbour, rental manager or property care

A neighbour can be a fine first point of contact, but checks irregularly and rarely with a technical eye. A rental manager is there for guests and changeovers; some also carry out technical checks, others do not. Property care is about the condition of the house: scheduled visits, a set checklist and a photo report. If you let your home, both can work side by side, as long as it is clear who is responsible for what. If you own an apartment or a home in an urbanisation, check with the comunidad de propietarios how you get access to the roof and plant rooms.

What we do

With our property care in Marbella, every visit follows the same order:

1. Every room walked through, with ceilings, walls and floors checked for damp patches, mould and musty smells.
2. Every tap run briefly, toilets flushed, traps refilled.
3. A water meter reading with everything closed and irrigation off. If it keeps turning, we look for the leak.
4. A check that the diferencial is on and that the fridge, freezer, alarm and cameras are working.
5. 15 to 30 minutes of airing, weather permitting; windows, doors and shutters checked.
6. Outside: azotea and drains, garden, irrigation and pool.
7. Post and leaflets removed.
8. A photo report via WhatsApp. We fix small problems straight away; for larger work you receive a quote first.

Property management Marbella only works with clear agreements up front. Together we set how often we visit, what is included, which repairs need your approval, who holds the keys and how an emergency call is handled.

Frequently asked questions

Is property care the same as rental management?

No. Property care looks after the condition of the home; rental management handles bookings and guests. The two can complement each other.

Do you come after a storm or a DANA?

Yes. As agreed, we make an extra visit after storms or heavy rain, as soon as it is safe to do so.

What if something is broken?

Small jobs, such as a trap or a strip of sealant, we usually fix on the spot. For larger work you receive a quote first. Certified electrical work is done by a qualified specialist partner where needed.

Can the pool and garden be included in the same visit?

Yes, pool, garden and irrigation can be built into the schedule.

Which languages do you speak?

Dutch, English, Spanish and Polish.

Want to discuss an inspection schedule for your home in Marbella? Get in touch or email info@farocosta.com.