Winter on the Garden Route is beautiful, but it is also the hardest season on an empty home. Cold, damp, and the big south-westerly storms that roll in off the sea between May and August can do real damage to a property that is standing unoccupied. A few hours of preparation before you lock up for the season can save you a great deal of money — and a nasty surprise when you return in summer.
Here is how we prepare the holiday homes we look after across Plettenberg Bay and Knysna for the colder months.
Deal with damp before it starts
Damp is the single most common problem we find in homes that have been closed up over winter. Coastal air is humid, and a sealed house with no airflow becomes a breeding ground for mould on walls, ceilings, soft furnishings, and inside cupboards.
- Leave interior doors and cupboards slightly open so air can move through the house.
- Place moisture absorbers in bathrooms, wardrobes, and any room that doesn't get sun.
- Pull furniture a few centimetres away from external walls to stop trapped condensation.
- If someone is checking the home, ask them to open it up and air it out on dry days.
Protect against storms and water
Winter storms bring wind-driven rain and the occasional power outage. Most storm damage we see is avoidable and starts small — a blocked gutter that overflows into a ceiling, or a loose roof sheet that lifts in a gale.
- Clear gutters and downpipes of leaves so winter rain drains away from the house.
- Check that roof sheets, ridge caps, and flashing are secure before the first big front.
- Trim back trees and branches that could come down on the roof, walls, or fence.
- Secure or pack away outdoor furniture, umbrellas, and anything that can become a projectile in high wind.
Water, geyser, and electrics
If the home will stand empty for weeks, you don't want a slow leak running the whole time, or a geyser heating water nobody is using.
- Switch the geyser off at the distribution board to save electricity and reduce risk.
- Consider closing the main water stopcock if no one will visit, so a burst pipe can't flood the house.
- Empty the fridge, switch it off, and prop the door open to prevent mould inside.
- Unplug appliances and electronics to protect them from power surges during outages.
Security for an empty house
An obviously empty home is a target. The goal over winter is to make the property look lived-in and to make sure someone responsible is keeping an eye on it.
- Put a few interior lights on timers so the house isn't dark every single night.
- Make sure your alarm is armed, monitored, and that the response company has current contact details.
- Cancel or redirect any deliveries so parcels and post don't pile up at the gate.
- Arrange regular inspections so problems are caught early — and so the home looks cared for.
Don't forget the garden
Gardens keep growing in winter, and an overgrown garden is another signal that a house is empty. Pools also turn quickly without attention, and a green pool in spring is expensive to recover.
- Arrange occasional garden maintenance so the property stays tidy and presentable.
- Keep the pool covered and serviced, or have it checked periodically over the season.
- Drain and store hosepipes and irrigation fittings that could perish or freeze.
Let someone keep an eye on it
The single best thing you can do for an empty winter home is to have a trusted local person check on it regularly. A weekly walk-through catches a leak, a tripped alarm, or a storm-damaged roof while it is still a small, cheap problem — not a disaster you discover months later.
This is exactly what we do for homeowners across Plettenberg Bay and Knysna: regular inspections, photo reports after every visit, and someone on the ground to act fast when something goes wrong. If you'd like your home looked after this winter, get in touch for a free, no-obligation quote.