Floor Care Guide for Foreign Investors and Holiday Home Owners

In short: A significant share of the homes in Alanya belong to people who spend most of the year in another city or country.

When you are away from your home, planning floor maintenance, getting the work done and checking the result can seem difficult. In this article, we offer a practical floor care guide for remotely managed homes.

Problems Faced by Absent Homeowners

In remotely managed homes, floor problems usually grow not because of the maintenance itself, but because of a lack of follow-up and communication.

• Not being able to see the house: A homeowner who cannot see what is happening in the house only learns about problems such as leaks, moisture or improper cleaning if someone else reports them.
• Noticing problems late: Problems are only noticed when you arrive at the house; stains, mold or limescale that sit for months penetrate the stone and become harder to remove.
• Finding and monitoring a company: It is hard to find a reliable company from a distance and to monitor whether the work is being done correctly; there is no chance to see the quality of the work on site.
• Language and communication barriers: Language and communication barriers can make the description of the problem and the scope of work unclear; a misunderstood instruction leads to unwanted results.
• Rental and maintenance schedule: The rental periods and the maintenance schedule need to be aligned; the house needs to stay empty for a few days for honing and impregnation.

Get to Know the Floors in Your Home

The first step is to know which floors you have in your home:

• Living room and bedrooms: Knowing whether the living room and bedrooms have marble, travertine or ceramic determines which cleaner to use and which products to avoid.
• Terrace and pool surroundings: Whether the terrace and pool surroundings are travertine, granite or limestone changes how to deal with limescale, algae and slipperiness.
• Kitchen countertop: It is important to know whether the kitchen countertop is granite, marble or composite; a marble countertop is affected far more easily by acids such as lemon and vinegar.
• Parking lot or garage: Knowing whether the parking lot or garage floor is concrete allows you to plan maintenance needs such as oil stains, dusting and honing correctly.

Learning and recording this information once makes it easier to give correct instructions to the cleaner and the maintenance company later.

A Local Point of Contact

The key to remote management is a reliable local point of contact at the house: the building management, a home maintenance company, a neighbor or a property manager. This person:

• Airs out the house: Airs out the house once a month; the moisture and condensation that build up in a closed house are reduced, and mold is less likely to form in bathroom corners.
• Checks for moisture, leaks and odors: Checks for moisture, leaks and odors; a small leak from the plumbing is noticed before it damages the stone floor and the floor below.
• Post-storm check: Checks the terrace and drains after a storm; water and leaves that collect in a clogged drain are cleared before they leave stains and algae on the stone.
• Accompanies the maintenance team: Opens the door for the maintenance team and is present in the house during the work; they can follow the progress of the work in place of the homeowner and report with photos.

Written Instructions for the Cleaning Crew

Cleaning staff who change between rental periods are the most common cause of floor damage. Leave a short, illustrated instruction sheet:

• Products to use: A pH-neutral stone cleaner should be clearly written in the instructions as the product to use; this way every new staff member works with the same safe product.
• Products not to use: Products such as limescale remover, bleach and vinegar should be named one by one; they can leave permanent dull marks on marble and travertine.
• Dry cleaning first, then damp cleaning: Dry cleaning should be done first, followed by damp cleaning; if a wet mop is used without removing the sand, the floor gets scratched as if it had been sanded.
• Rinsing the pool edge with fresh water: The pool edge should be rinsed with fresh water; this way the limescale and salt left behind by drying chlorinated water are removed before they build up on the stone.
• Stain check after guests leave: The stains to check after guests leave should be listed; if a wine, oil or sunscreen stain is noticed early, it is cleaned before it penetrates the stone.

It helps to leave the instructions in Turkish and, if necessary, in English.

Having Maintenance Work Done Remotely

Survey

When having work done remotely, the survey is the way to make up for not being able to see the condition of the house in person, by using photos and a test area.

• On-site survey and reporting: Ask the company for an on-site survey; request that they report the condition with photos and a short video, so you can assess the problem with your own eyes.
• Test area: If possible, ask for a small test area to be done and its photo to be sent; the result and any difference in tone can be seen before the work begins.

Quote

A written and detailed quote prevents disputes that might arise later in work carried out remotely.

• Scope in writing: The quote should state in writing the scope of work, the grit stages, repairs, sealing and duration; what will be delivered at the end of the job should be clear from the start.
• Watch out for vague items: Items left vague can turn into surprises later, as extra charges or unfinished work during the job; that is why every item should be clarified.

During the Work

Regular photos and a representative on site let the homeowner follow the progress of the work even from a distance.

• Stage photos: Ask for before, during and after photos; by comparing them you can see which step was carried out and how the result changed.
• Presence of a local point of contact: Having your local point of contact at the property at the start and end of the work provides confidence; the work is seen on site and the condition of the belongings is checked.

Handover

The documents and information requested at handover make it easier to assess the result of the work remotely and to carry out later maintenance correctly.

• Photos against the light: Ask for photos of the finished work taken from different angles against the light; scratches, matte areas and differences in gloss are most visible from this angle.
• Sealer product and care recommendations: The sealer product used and care recommendations should be provided in writing; the cleaning team will then choose compatible products based on this information.
• Contact for corrections: If necessary, a communication channel should be set up for minor corrections; that way, any shortcoming noticed later can be easily put right.

Payment

When having work done remotely, discuss payment terms clearly: the advance payment rate, when the remaining balance will be paid and the handover criteria should all be in writing. Not paying the full amount before the work is finished and you have seen the photos is a general precaution.

Annual Plan for Remote Maintenance

Choosing the Right Company

When working remotely, a company's communication habits are at least as important as its workmanship. A company that provides a photo report after the survey, a written, itemized quote, interim photos during the work and a clear care note at handover minimizes surprises. Having worked with foreign homeowners before, responding quickly via channels such as WhatsApp or email, and being reachable in emergencies during the season are also important criteria.

Protecting the Floor in Rental Homes

In rental homes, the floor wears out quickly because of frequently changing guests unless it is protected with a few simple measures.

• Absorbent mat at the entrance: Place absorbent mats at the entrance and at the pool door; this reduces people coming in with wet feet and sand, and prevents slipping and scratching.
• Felt pads on furniture legs: Fit felt pads on furniture legs and replace missing ones every season; a chair leg without felt quickly leaves scratches on marble and travertine.
• Cutting board and tray: Keep a cutting board and tray in the kitchen; this reduces guests placing lemon, wine or oil directly on the countertop and leaving stains.
• Stone-safe cleaning product: Leave a cleaning product suitable for stone in the bathroom; this reduces the risk of guests using their own products.
• Photograph the floor at check-out: Have the floor photographed when guests leave; this makes damage tracking easier and shows in which period it occurred.

Working with Remote Homeowners in Alanya

A significant share of the homeowners we work with in Alanya spend most of the year in Germany, the UK, Scandinavia, Russia and other countries. For these homeowners, we carry out the survey together with local points of contact, send a photo report and a written quote, and keep them informed during and at the end of the work with photos taken against the light. If needed, we set maintenance dates according to the rental calendar and help prepare the instructions to be left for the cleaning teams.