FAQ

The term “Home Watch” is defined by the National Home Watch Association (NHWA) as “The visual inspection of a vacant home or property looking for obvious issues.”

We check your property and identify problems or potential problems that may occur while your property is vacant. We provide a physical presence not available with a remote alarm monitoring service, and we notify the homeowner, in a timely manner, of any issues that need their attention. We also may be able to help with specific requests you may have for your vacation home or rental. Our Southwest Michigan team will create a specifically tailored inspection and services checklist based on your needs.

Home Watch provides the ultimate best services which are customized to the individual needs of every single customer. Also, if the homeowners of the property do not have the time to complete some tasks for the home, our home watch services can step in to offer excellent assistance with our on-demand concierge services. We provide you with anything from our Home Watch services to check the whole property for any kind of irregularities including both the interior and exterior part, to giving you first-rate home management assistance for anything related to the upkeep of your beloved home.

We are not a house sitter, in the typical sense of the word, but will provide a physical presence at your property based on your scheduled needs. Our core service includes periodic visits to your home where we follow a specific and mutually agreed upon checklist. We take great pride in making sure your home is just like you left it for your return.

An alarm company monitors entry into your home or fire alarms remotely, but they do not monitor potential problems that can occur due to broken pipes, mold, pests or vagrants and they are not on your property. We identify those problems or the possibilities in person, on your property, and then notify you for your guidance.

You may designate Home Watch of Southwest Michigan as a first responder contact for your security agency or we can support a relative, friend, or neighbor in the case of an alarm activation. If police or rescue is dispatched, we can supply access to your home and assist in evaluating any necessary action to complete the process and reset your alarm.

Most neighborhood watch programs are passive by nature and do not provide the level of engagement with your actual property (inside and outside) that Home Watch of Southwest Michigan provides. We routinely check your property’s interior and exterior in far greater detail than a neighborhood watch program.

Absolutely! We can coordinate access to your property for any situation at an hourly rate. All we need is your notification of date and time and any instructions you have. We can coordinate access to your property for any situation

While we do not provide home maintenance services, we can refer you to quality contractors or vendors and coordinate access to your property.

We encourage a site visit to determine the custom plan to properly meet your needs. Pricing of Home Watch services is based on the number and frequency of visits and the number of checkpoints on your contracted list. Home monitoring reports are provided by email or text to keep you informed of the condition of your home. Additionally we offer a la carte concierge services like keyholder or contractor access by the hour. We are happy to discuss our pricing in detail at a free consultation and will provide a free estimate.

Whenever a home is left unattended there is the risk of potential damage, intruders, or emergencies like water leaks, HVAC failures, vandalism, pest infestation, storm damage, and so much more! Our Home Watch team can’t guarantee those unpredictable problems won’t happen, but our team will be there to identify and help mitigate potential damage to the interior, exterior, and grounds of your home.

Home Watch of Southwest Michigan will send you a report upon completion of our visit to your home. Any problems identified will be accompanied by pictures and details of the problem. If we take any action to prevent further damage, we will contact you immediately to discuss what occurred and consider what course of action is needed for the repair.

Home Watch of Southwest Michigan does not provide customers with home inspections, security services, or property management practices that include any kind of third-party financial transactions or tenant screening/contracting. While we may provide light handyman duties, we do not provide extensive services. We can provide you with recommendations for amazing local companies if the need for these particular services arises.

Home Watch of Southwest Michigan is bonded, insured, and accredited. Employees also pass annual criminal background checks so that our clients are assured that professionals are helping them watch over their homes. Home Watch of Southwest Michigan is fully accredited by the National Home Watch Association. As such we hold ourselves to the highest standards in the Home Watch industry. We also assure any contractors that we recommend are commercially insured. We typically spend one hour per visit to assure your home is secure.

Throughout the Southwest Michigan area our customers may be staying in South Haven, Benton Harbor, St. Joseph, Union Pier, or Stevensville – or most anywhere else along the lakeshore. Many of those people live out of the state and own a second home in places like St. Joseph, MI, or on the coast of our beautiful Lake Michigan. Or, some are residents who travel; leaving home for a few months, or residing part time in another part of the country; typically in the winter months. Home Watch of Southwest Michigan is a local service that takes care of your property and supports it like it’s ours!