Pegasus Posted May 4, 2013 Share Posted May 4, 2013 My sister had to move for a job opportunity. Her house is on the market and sitting empty. The gas utility recently shut off the gas to the house. Do I need to shut the gas valves for the furnace and water heater? Any other tips for a vacant house to keep it show ready? We learned the hard way that the toilets need to be flushed occasionally. Yuck! And even sitting empty, it still needs to be dusted and swept every so often. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenCat Posted May 4, 2013 Share Posted May 4, 2013 I would think the gas needs to be on, not off, so people will know these things work. Pipes freezing are also an issue but probably not at this time of year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justasque Posted May 4, 2013 Share Posted May 4, 2013 I would turn the valves off if the gas is off and the home is empty. Just as a "just in case" precaution, as there is no reason to have them left on if the gas supply is off. Make a note of it so you can tell the new owner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted May 4, 2013 Share Posted May 4, 2013 Turn them off. They can be opened and lit by the new owner Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pegasus Posted May 4, 2013 Author Share Posted May 4, 2013 Thank you for the advice! Now to find those off valves. She should be safe from the danger of frozen pipes for the next several months and if needed, will have the gas turned back on by then. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the house will sell well before then! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbgrace Posted May 4, 2013 Share Posted May 4, 2013 The biggest issue we had with our vacant home was air flow. The air seemed stale. It wasn't a problem when the air was running in the summer but when we had to turn that off as it got colder, it was a struggle. I'm assuming, since the gas is off, you might have a similar problem. If you are able to visit easily just opening some windows, running fans, etc. once a week would probably make it a non-issue. I found this article about the topic and it looks like it has some helpful ideas. http://realestatesnippets.typepad.com/real_estate_snippets/2006/11/vacant_house_sm.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pegasus Posted May 4, 2013 Author Share Posted May 4, 2013 Thank you for the article link. It has some great practical tips. Airing out the house once a week is definitely something that I can do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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