In the world of vacant staging, there seem to be those stagers who stage and leave, never to see the property again until it is time to retrieve their inventory and then there are the stagers who are running out to their properties every few days to make sure beds are still inflated, etc. It also seems that it is either/or, with no in between.
It certainly would be understandable to forgo property checks due to distance - I am doing a consult over an hour away on Monday, don't know if property checks are going to be included in the deal should they request inventory services - but if distance is not the issue and you are not stopping by, why aren't you?
I run by my properties every 10 days to two weeks. I fluff pillows, push dining room chairs back in, check the beds, even swap out greenery if we are in a seasonal change like we are right now. I do not clean, but will knock down a spider web or two if needed. I do this as a service to my clients and for my own peace of mind. And this week, I'm really glad I did.
In the midst of a property check this week, I entered the dining room to find that 1. someone had shot a hole in the dining room window (bee-bee gun, most likely) and that 2. my artwork had been knocked off of the wall, 
twisting the frame and making it unusable. I called the client to inform them of the window and then made a trip to the store for replacement artwork.
As much as I hated to have to spend more money on this job, several good things came of this property check - the damaged window is being replaced, I found artwork I liked better for the space, the client gained confidence in me knowing that I do not 'stage and run', and I am confident that the house will show well at the next open house because all of these things have been resolved.
So, how do you work property checks into your schedule and how do you cover the gas? Well, that is easy. I put my checks on the calendar - scheduled for Mondays mostly, because that is usually my slow day, and arrange them by location. One week I do the ones close to my house, the others the next week I also add a $25 charge into my monthly rental fee to cover the gas if it is farther away than I would normally drive. You may also find that should you feel it necessary to check on a listing for a specific reason - say after a storm, etc - and are not willing to make it, most times the Realtor is more than happy to make that check for you. I deal with one agent that automatically checks his properties and we rotate weeks to give him a break.
So, what of that house an hour away? Well, that is something I will have to discuss with the seller. They may be able to check it themselves, the agent may be able to do it, or they may be willing to pay me a hefty travel fee to cover it. It's on a lake, so who knows? Maybe a weekend stay might be necessary to make sure everything is in proper working order...
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