Property checks before going away

If you're leaving Newcastle at anytime to go home or on holiday, please make sure you've checked your house or flat thoroughly before you go.

Before you leave, there are a few things you do need to do to make sure your property is left safe and secure.

Communicate with your housemates

Firstly, make sure you know who the last person will be to leave the property. This person will be responsible for making sure that everything is locked up before they go.

Complete a visual check of everything

Have a walk around the property and look for any signs of water ingress or damage to the seals around the doors and windows, like condensation. Also, do a quick check of the roof to see if any tiles look damaged or missing. The last thing you want is to come back and find that there have been any leaks while you've been away.

Set the heating

Even while you're away, you still need to make sure the heating is set to come on for a few hours a day, at a low temperature. This will stop damage to your heating system caused by pipes freezing, and also prevent the chances of mould forming on the walls, ceiling and furniture.

Last minute checks

These may be last minute checks, but they're the most important. So, before you leave, make sure you complete these little jobs:

• Check all taps have been turned off.

• If you've turned off any switches, make sure you know what they are for, as some could be connected to the plumbing and could cause big problems if they are turned off.

• Make sure all bins are emptied into the outside bins. Any food nearing its expiration date needs to be thrown away and all washing up should be done. You don't want to be attracting any pests while you're away.

• Lock all windows and doors in the property and set the alarm if you have one.

It's also worth noting that it is well known that people in this area tend to leave their properties empty over the Christmas or holiday period. We recommend that you take any valuables. These valuables may include items such as laptops, computers, TVs, games consoles, and jewellery.

Finally, please remember that if you're planning on leaving your property for more than two weeks, you must let Seekers know. We have created a short survey to allow you to feed this information over to us, which will land in your inbox and take a few moments to complete.

If you'd like to know more, or have any questions, please contact your Property Supervisor.