Published by your neighbors at Home Watch Sun City West
If you spend part of the year somewhere else, someone will be holding the key to your Sun City West house. That is a lot of trust. Home watch services range from one person with a checklist to larger companies with several crews, and neither is automatically better. What matters is that you know what you are getting. Here are seven questions we think every homeowner should ask, whoever they hire.
Ask for proof, not just a yes. A legitimate service will gladly send a copy of its insurance certificate, and your own insurance company or HOA may want one as well. Ask what happens if something is damaged or goes missing during a visit.
Some companies send whoever is on the schedule that day. Others send the same person every time. Ask who it is, whether they are an employee or a subcontractor, and whether they have been background checked. The same face each visit also means they will notice when something has changed.
A drive-by and a walk-through are very different services. Ask whether they go inside, whether they run the water in every sink and shower, check the air conditioner and thermostat, look under the sinks and around the water heater, and try every door and slider. Ask to see a sample checklist.
You want a written report after every visit, with the date and time, what was checked, and photos of anything that needs attention. A report that says only "all good" is not much help to you, or to your insurance company if there is ever a claim. Our own reports are described here.
Keys should never be labeled with your name or address. Ask where they are stored, who has access, and what happens if one is lost. Ask also how alarm codes and garage codes are handled, and whether they are removed when your service ends.
This is the question that matters most. Ask how quickly you will be called, who you can authorize to make a repair, and whether the service has trusted plumbers, A/C companies, and pest control people on hand. Ask what they will do in an emergency, such as a leak, when you cannot be reached.
A common schedule for a Sun City West home in summer is every week or every two weeks, and many owners ask for a visit every couple of weeks in winter as well. Ask for the pricing in writing, and whether there are extra fees for additional tasks, storm checks, or arrival and departure preparation. Be wary of long contracts with no way out.
No. The Posse Vacation Watch and a friendly neighbor are both valuable, but neither goes inside. We explained how each fits together in an earlier note. A good home watch picks up where they stop, which is behind the front door.
If you would like to talk it over, here is how we start. We walk through the house with you, learn how you like it kept, and answer any of the questions above in person.
Tell us when you leave, and we will plan the visits around your summer.
