How to Manage Multiple Homes

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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If you buy a second home, it may seem like a luxury until you realize you just doubled your responsibilities. You need a strategy that provides enough time to manage both places.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Step1

Buy a second home within driving distance of the first. You'll be able to more easily maintain a second home if you can take a quick drive over to water the plants or visit frequently. If any problems pop up, you can use your same contractors to handle maintenance or lawn work for both homes.

Step2

Maintain residency in one state for legal purposes. If the second home is in another state, register to vote, register and title your car, pay state income taxes all in the state of your primary residence. This will save you the frustration if any legal or tax issues arise in the future. You don't want the state in which you maintain a second home to come after you for state income taxes. Maintaing clear residency in one state will protect you.

Step3

Install a lock on a storage closet for your personal belongings in the second home. Other people might borrow or rent your second home, so you'll need a place to store certain items that you don't want to share.

Step4

Claim only one mailing address. Have all your important mail sent to your primary residence. This also establishes the home as your primary residence for tax purposes.

Step5

Write a check list. Set a routine so that when you leave a home, you turn off lights, unplug electrical cords, turn off water, put away patio furniture, put away flags and take care of any other important things on your list.