Christmas and New Year: Your Slovenian Home While You're Away

Many property owners in Slovenia spend the Christmas and New Year holidays somewhere else — back home, with family, travelling. The house or apartment stands empty during exactly the stretch when several risk factors line up at once. The holidays are not “an ordinary two weeks away”, and they deserve more attention.

This article is a short look at why the holiday period is special for an empty home, and what to prepare if you’re spending Christmas and New Year outside Slovenia.

It draws on the Slovenian seasonal calendar and on the years of work the DomCare team has spent looking after properties over the holiday period.

Why the holidays are a particular risk period

The holiday weeks bring several unfavourable factors together at once.

It’s the depth of winter. Late December into early January is cold weather, with frosts and snowfalls. Every winter risk to a home is at its peak in this period.

Services run on different hours. On holiday days it’s harder and slower to call out a tradesperson, a plumber, an emergency service. Something that would be solved in hours on an ordinary day can stretch out over the holidays.

Many people are away at the same time. Neighbours who would “keep an eye on things” at other times travel away over the holidays too. The home is left without that informal watch.

Empty homes are noticeable. The holiday period is a known time for break-ins: thieves know that many people are away, and an empty home shows.

It’s the sum of these factors that makes the holidays a period to prepare for separately, rather than treating them “like an ordinary trip away”.

Winter risks over the holiday period

The main threats are the same as for any winter absence, but over the holidays they’re sharper:

Frozen pipes. If, during a frost, the home is left without enough heating, the water in the pipes freezes and splits them. Over the holidays, when help is harder to call out, the damage builds for longer.

Heating failure. If the boiler breaks down or the power cuts out during a holiday frost, the home cools quickly — and finding a tradesperson fast in these days is harder.

Snowfalls. Accumulated snow, ice, a blocked access path — all of this needs a response that no one is there to provide over the holidays, unless it’s arranged in advance.

A detailed winter-prep plan is covered in the winter home prep calendar — by the time the holidays come, it should already be done.

What to prepare for a holiday absence

If the home’s winter prep is already done, a few accents remain for the holidays:

Heating in frost-protection mode. Don’t shut the home down completely. Holding it around 12-14 °C protects the pipes — and against damp too.

Access and response sorted. Someone in Slovenia should have access to the home and the ability to respond — especially important over the holidays, when neighbours have travelled away. That’s key holding or property care.

A sense of presence. Timers on the lights, no mail piling up, an arrangement with someone to put the bin out — simple measures against break-ins, and especially valuable over the holiday period.

A check just before the holidays. It’s good if, shortly before the holidays, someone checks the home: that the heating is working, that everything is in order, that the home is ready to stand quietly through the holiday weeks.

A contact for emergencies. You should have someone you can call if the neighbours report a problem — and who will respond without waiting for the holidays to end.

If you’re coming for the holidays

Some owners, conversely, spend Christmas and New Year in their own home in Slovenia — especially if it’s a house in Bled or the mountains. Then the task is reversed: the home should welcome you ready for the holidays. Warmed through, with the access path cleared, with the systems running — so the first day isn’t spent thawing out a cold house. Preparing for a holiday arrival is conveniently handled with a one-off visit or as part of property care.

How DomCare helps

Over the holiday period, DomCare provides what’s usually missing — presence and a response, when the neighbours have travelled away and services are running on different hours. Property care means checking the home before and during the holidays, monitoring the heating, responding to emergencies. Key holding means access and a response if a problem arises. Preparing for your holiday arrival we cover with a one-off visit. We work in Ljubljana, on the coast, in the Bled and Bohinj region and in the Kranj region.

The easiest way to talk it through: write to us through the form or on WhatsApp.

Frequently asked questions

How is a holiday absence different from an ordinary one? Over the holidays several factors line up: the depth of winter with risks at their peak, services running on different hours so help is harder to call out, neighbours away too, and empty homes being a known target for break-ins.

Can you switch the heating off over the holidays? No. Over the winter holidays the heating should stay in frost-protection mode (around 12-14 °C), otherwise there’s a risk of frozen pipes — and getting help over the holidays is harder.

Why does access to the home matter especially over the holidays? Because neighbours who would normally keep an eye on things travel away over the holidays. If a problem occurs, you need someone who has access and can respond without waiting for the holidays to end.

What should I do if I spend the holidays in my own home in Slovenia? Prepare the home for your arrival in advance: warm it through, clear the access path, check the systems — so the first day of the holidays isn’t spent thawing out a cold house.

Do I need to prepare anything if the home’s winter prep is already done? A few accents remain for the holidays: making sure the heating is in protection mode, that access and response are sorted, that there’s a sense of presence, and ideally — a check of the home shortly before the holidays.

Christmas and New Year are not an ordinary two weeks away. The depth of winter, the unusual hours of services, the neighbours who have travelled off, and the heightened interest of thieves in empty homes make the holidays a period to prepare for separately. A few sensible measures — and the home will wait quietly for you while you spend the holidays where you want to be.

Want to spend the holidays at ease, knowing the home is being looked after — write to us.

Sources and further reading

• Preparing a home for winter in Slovenia: a calendar of jobs — the winter prep that should already be done by the holidays
• A home in Bled in winter — if the home is in the Alpine region
• DomCare — Property Care — property care over the holiday period
• DomCare — About us — our experience looking after properties over the holidays