Pyrrothian Lyxterand 
Not everyone wants a home they have to tend to. Rather than spending hours mowing lawns, tending gardens, and doing maintenance, they would prefer to get out and about, travel, and be social.
Preferring to do these things doesn’t mean you can’t be a homeowner; it simply means that you’re best to buy or build a certain type of house. If you’re getting ready to design your very own ‘lock and leave’ property for low-maintenance living, here are some of the top features to include:
Easy-Care Cladding
Whether you’re arranging cheap long-distance moving or relocating for work or retirement, durable, easy-care cladding makes managing a lock-up-and-leave property much simpler. If you’re home or have someone taking care of your home, low-maintenance materials like brick, concrete, vinyl, and metal are a worthwhile investment.
Vinyl is popular because it only requires an annual wash and occasional hardware inspection, whereas real wood siding needs repainting or restaining every three to seven years. Concrete and brick also only require gentle washing.
Smart Home Automation
Just because you don’t like to spend a lot of time at home doesn’t mean you don’t care about your property and how it’s faring while you’re not there. While many people pay house sitters to take care of their homes for peace of mind, smart home automation may offer the same level of comfort.
For example, security cameras let you see if anyone has been in or around your home, while smart locks let you grant remote access if needed. You can also monitor temperature with smart temperature controls and detect moisture near pipes and water-using appliances with leak-detection sensors and automatic water shutoff valves.
Materials That Tolerate Neglect
Some home interiors require ongoing care and maintenance to remain at their best. This can be problematic if you’re rarely home or don’t want to dedicate much time to cleaning. In that case, you would opt for porcelain tile, luxury vinyl plank, and polished concrete over less tolerant materials like natural stone, which require sealing, and carpet and hardwood in humid climates.
Low-Maintenance Landscaping
After being away from your home for several weeks or months, you don’t want to return to a jungle with knee-high lawns and tangled weeds. The ideal lock-and-leave property should require little to no maintenance – and even no need to own a lawn mower!
Concrete hardscapes that only require occasional pressure-washing are popular, as are native drought-tolerant plants that don’t require watering. If you still wish to own plants and know they’ll require at least some care, you can explore drip irrigation and smart irrigation controllers with rain sensors. Alternatively, opt for ground cover that will grow beautifully and suppress weeds within a low-maintenance garden.
Community Features
Trying to organize service providers to come to your home while you’re living or staying hundreds of miles away is rarely easy. That’s why many people purchase in HOA areas. Community services can often eliminate exterior maintenance altogether, such as HOA-maintained landscaping, snow removal, pest control, and common-area security. Even roof maintenance and replacement are sometimes out of your hands if you purchase a townhome or condo managed by an HOA.
If you travel a lot or spend very little time at home, you need a property that doesn’t feel neglected. A home with low-maintenance landscaping, smart home automation, and neglect-tolerant features in an HOA community may be the answer you’re looking for.
