Areas
Home watch for a holiday home on the bay at São Martinho do Porto.
São Martinho do Porto empties slowly in the autumn. Flats and houses on the bay sit for weeks or months with the shutters drawn and the mail piling up. The bay is more sheltered than the open beach at Nazaré, but a closed house still holds damp.
Someone who is only here in summer often uses the seasonal plan: you pay for the months you are away, at least six a year, at the price of the plan you chose. Cleaning, if you want it before you arrive, is done by a partner and billed separately.
A tap that does not quite shut off.
The bay, a ground floor, and the months from October to June
On the bay the air is damp even when the water is calm. A closed ground floor shows it first in the bathroom, under the sink and in a corner without sun. Higher up, what shows is the shutter and the window facing the water, and mail that nobody collects.
The photograph on this page is a tap that does not quite shut off. It is an illustration, not the bay and not a client’s house. It stands for the small leak a visit looks for in a house where nobody is home.
What a visit does in a closed flat or house
It airs the place, walks through what is in sight and leaves dated photos. Taps, cisterns and the cupboard under the sink are part of that look. Mail is photographed unopened unless you allow it to be opened.
What a visit covers
A visual check, not a structural survey and not a guarantee that hidden defects will be found. A diagnostic visit runs about 45–75 minutes, with 8–15 photos.
- Doors, locks, windows and shutters
- Signs of forced entry
- Visible leaks, damp, mould and pests
- Taps, cisterns and a visual check of the water heater
- Airing, and mail photographed unopened unless you say otherwise
- Terrace, gate and, when you ask on Weekly or Premium, the meters
Before summer, and through the rest of the year
Preparing the house the weekend before arrival — open it, air it, turn the water and electricity on, a look with photos — is included on Premium. On Essential and Weekly that preparation is an extra scheduled visit, for someone on an active plan. Cleaning is not included. While the house is closed, Essential is two visits a month and Weekly about four.
- Diagnostic€65 · one visit
- Essential€125 · 2 visits a month · per month
- Weekly€235 · About 4 visits a month · per month
- Premium€365 · About 4 visits a month, with priority · per month
The diagnostic visit (€65) is credited on the first month if a plan starts within 14 days.
Outside Alcobaça, the check after a storm is within 48 hours at most. Included · Weekly €30 · Essential €55. It is not a 24-hour emergency service.
Questions about São Martinho do Porto
Do both flats and houses qualify?
Yes, if there is access. São Martinho do Porto is one of the places we schedule on a regular basis. The address is confirmed at the diagnostic.
The bay is calmer. Does damp stop being an issue?
No. A closed house on the bay still holds damp. Airing is part of every visit.
Do you prepare the house before a summer arrival?
On Premium, the weekend before, it is included. On Essential and Weekly it is an extra visit. Cleaning, if you want it, is a partner’s job.