What is a home watch service?

Home watch is a service for absentee homeowners, homeowners with a vacation property in West Maui, or what some call non-tenant-based property management, which provides a periodic visual inspection of your home and property in order to discover and report obvious issues that can arise while you are away.

​

Why do I need a home watch service?

Actually, the question is, how can you not have one?  So many things can happen to your home in your absence: break-ins, water leaks, electrical problems, insects, mold and storms to name a few.  Conversely, preventive measures such as proactive maintenance should prevent many situations from arising.  Even if you have a trusted neighbor or relative nearby, having a professional acting on your behalf is a much better and more effective option.  Some insurance companies even require periodic inspections in order to maintain a homeowners policy.

​

How often should I have my home checked?

Things you should consider: if something happens at your home, how much time would you like a water leak to create havoc in your home before it is discovered?   It doesn't take long for a small leak to quickly soak an area rug or damage your cabinetry.  A small amount of water can quickly produce a large amount of mold and mildew which is costly to clean up and repair!  The sooner they are discovered, the less the amount of damage.  So, our response is that we recommend weekly home visits and most of our clients follow that schedule.  Some are happy with bi-weekly if you are willing to accept the risks!

​

What if I have a situation at my home?

Our experience and judgment will allow us to handle any situation with a calculated response.  If the situation is an emergency, it will be handled in the fastest, safest and most cost-effective way. In a non-emergency situation, you will be contacted to discuss and implement a course of action.  Each inspection includes up to 30 minutes of handyman service at no additional charge.

​

If I want a situation corrected will you make the repairs?

We know that you want your repairs made by someone who truly knows the trade and is licensed in that trade.  For that reason, we evaluate the magnitude of the repair and discuss it with you.  We are able to do a wide variety of traditional handyman repairs but for larger/complex repairs we will assist you in hiring a trusted professional contractor with expertise in the area you need handled.  We have regular contractors that we know and trust that we can recommend or are happy to use someone that you already use.  We can let the vendor into your place to make the repairs and then return to lock up.  If you prefer, we will stay at your property while the vendor makes the repairs and then apprise you of the status.

​

How do you provide security for my home, keys, and information?

Your security is of the highest priority to us.  First, your keys are stored in our safe and are never out in the open unless we are on a route that includes your home.  Second, no one will enter your home that hasn't been thoroughly screened or background checked.  Third, we vary the dates and times that we visit your property to insure that no predictable pattern is being established.

​

How long are you in my home and how do I know you were there?

Home visits range in duration from 15 minutes to over an hour depending on the services you have contracted and how frequently we are in your home.  You will know we were in your home based on the time-stamp included on each computerized report sent to you--in fact, we welcome you checking your alarm system logs and/or security cameras to verify we were there.  We show up!  You can also request your visit report be GPS stamped to show we were physically at your location.

​

Is there a contract to sign?  Am I locked in long term?

We want you to enjoy your West Maui home and therefore have very flexible term arrangements.  We price our visits PER VISIT, not on a monthly basis, so if you are coming into town just let us know (please give us a week's notice if possible) and we'll take you off our route calendar.  As we price per visit there is no need to worry about over billing, etc.  Our "Service Agreement" (we don't like the word contract) provides flexibility and is cancel-able with 10-days notice, so you are never locked in to anything.  We bill you monthly to provide the greatest flexibility.