How to Choose a Concierge Care Provider for Your Second Home

 

@Christie’s Real Estate

We all love the idea of spending our spare time relaxing in our second homes, but the prospect of being welcomed by an empty refrigerator and dusty shelves can put a huge dampener on your time away. This is why so many homeowners who own a second home consider employing a concierge care provider. Concierge care providers take care of all of these boring tasks for you so that you can turn up to your second home, put your feet up and enjoy your time away. But, how do you go about choosing a concierge care provider? Here are some of our top tips to get you started:

1. Choose a Local Company

No matter what service you’re looking for, choosing a local company is always advised. A good concierge service should have a good knowledge of the local area and what it has to offer. They should also know about any local events or attractions that will be taking place in the near future.

2. The Services They Offer

Concierge care providers can offer their clients a number of different services. These could include:

    • Transport service – some concierge companies will pick their customers up from the airport or they’ll arrange transport for them. Also, if you have a car stored at your second home, you may be able to ask a concierge to fuel it up for you.
    • Availability – you want to be able to contact your concierge care provider whenever you need them. Check to make sure when they’re open and when they’re not.
    • Cleaning – it’s a good idea to choose a provider who is willing to spend time cleaning your property before you arrive. They should be willing to do basic jobs like hoovering and dusting as well as jobs like changing the air filters in the property. You need to remember that a concierge will not purchase air filters for your property, so you will need to purchase your own from https://filterbuy.com/. The filters from Filterbuy come in a range of different sizes to suit the air filtration system in your home.
    • Shopping – many concierge services are happy to stock your fridge with essentials like bread and milk. They may also be willing to purchase items like firewood if needed.
    • Temperature checks – if you’re worried that your property will be too hot or too cold when you arrive, then this service is a must. Many concierge providers will visit your second home before you arrive to make sure the temperature inside is comfortable for you.
    • Pool maintenance – as well as checking the temperature of your pool, many concierge care providers are also willing to take care of the maintenance of your pool. They will make sure your pool is working correctly before you arrive.
    • Home maintenance – if there is an electrical fault or plumbing problem in your second home, you want to know you’ve got someone who can take care of it for you. Choose a concierge care provider who offers this service.
    • Painting – no one wants to spend their quality time having to re-decorate their second home. So why not choose a concierge care provider who is willing to take care of this for you?
    • The grounds – check to make sure that your concierge provider includes this in the service. You will want to make sure your second home remains looking at its best all year round, so simple jobs like cutting the grass and watering the plants need to be taken care of.

Cape Cod resort-style estate photo @Coldwell Banker Global Luxury

3. Do Some Research

Before employing any concierge care provider, it’s a good idea to do some research. You could:

  • Ask friends who own homes in the local area for recommendations
  • Look for reviews online
  • Visit the company’s web page
  • Talk to current or previous customers
  • Look on social media websites
  • Ask for references.

The more information you find out about a company, the better.

4. Trustworthy

Concierges are privy to a great deal of information about their customers, so they need to be trustworthy. It’s a good idea to choose a provider that has had previous experience being entrusted with this private information. At the very least, a concierge provider should understand the importance of respecting their customers’ privacy. They need to be able to use the utmost discretion in handling any private information, including when communicating with other colleagues.

Owning a second home is one thing, but maintaining it is another. What if you live in the US, but your second home is in the UK? You can’t simply pop round the corner to give it a clean before you turn up. The simple answer to this is that you can hire a concierge care provider. A concierge care provider will take care of your second home while you’re away, which means you can relax knowing that everything is taken care of. Choosing a concierge is often tricky. There are so many options available – how do you know which one is suitable for you? Follow some of our top tips above and you’ll find a concierge provider that is perfect for you.

Tuscan Chianti Estate @Christie’s Real Estate