Leaving your Lake Havasu home for the summer.

Leave a plan the next person can understand

Before leaving your Lake Havasu home for the summer, write down its intended away-state. Include approved equipment settings, scheduled providers, who may enter and how decisions will be handled while you are elsewhere. Keep access details in a secure record shared only with authorised people.

Lake Havasu's heat and periods of summer storm activity make property-specific planning useful. The National Weather Service's Lake Havasu forecast provides current local weather information. A forecast informs arrangements; it does not replace an agreed visit plan or specialist advice for the residence.

Cooling: agree the settings before departure

There is no single thermostat setting that suits every second home. Discuss your equipment and the needs of finishes, furnishings and other contents with the appropriate professional, then record the agreed settings for each relevant zone.

Confirm the status of scheduled HVAC service and note who should be contacted if a visit reveals an unexpected reading or visible concern. If you use connected controls, clarify who is authorised to change them. A remote display and an on-site visual visit provide different information.

Water, pools and irrigation need their own instructions

Agree the property's water arrangements with the relevant professional. Do not assume one instruction works for every home: irrigation, pools, fire protection and other systems may have their own supply requirements. Record the approved arrangement and who may change it.

Confirm that pool and landscape providers have the service schedule and access they need. Note recent concerns and the right contact for each system. During a visual visit, changes can be recorded and communicated, while technical diagnosis, water treatment and repairs remain with the appropriate provider.

Exterior spaces and changing weather

Decide how outdoor furniture, shades and other movable items should be left, following manufacturer and installer guidance where relevant. Arrange any specialist work before you leave. Discuss what observation or follow-up may be appropriate after weather exposure and how additional visits would be scheduled.

Accessible exterior observations can add context to a provider's work, but they do not replace roof, structural or specialist inspections. A useful record states what was visible and where the view was limited.

Before you leave: a concise handover

• Confirm the recurring visit plan and the first visit after departure.
• Record agreed settings, service schedules and open concerns.
• Confirm authorised contacts and how decisions will reach you.
• Arrange mail, deliveries and property-related appointments that need attention.
• Clarify who may approve work and any agreed limits.
• Document the intended departure state and anything still outstanding.
• Share your expected return date and update it when plans change.

Use this as a planning framework, then adapt it to the residence. It is not a technical shutdown procedure.

Keep the home known between visits

Seasonal-home care works best when the person checking the residence knows what normal looks like there. Documented visits provide a record; continuing familiarity helps explain a change and keeps earlier concerns from being forgotten.

Our Lake Havasu home watch and second-home care is delivered through Estate Stewardship. Read what a visit should document, and plan arrival and departure support around the time you spend here.