Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Home Watcher?
A Home Watcher at work
- Home Watching is a visual inspection of a property looking for obvious issues.
- A "Home Watcher", sometimes called a absentee owner or house sitter, is a service offered to owners of homes, condos, townhouses, any vacation properties as well as properties for rent or for sale. The service provides a walkthrough of unoccupied properties specifically related to security and a list of items which have the potential of causing unnecessary expenses or significant damages.
- The process is focused on security, functionality, energy reduction and risk mitigation.
- The service can be defined as strategy or a tool to reduce the risks of crime and disasters.
- A Home Watch service may be a requirement of your Insurance carrier to maintain disaster coverage if the property is vacant.
- The NHWA accredited Home Watch companies have a business license, are insured and bonded. Home sitters may not.
What Home Watcher LV is not?
is not
- Home Watcher LV is not a Property Management Company as defined by the Nevada Real Estate Division. We do not provide the physical, administrative or financial maintenance or management of the real property. We are not involved in any way with income property. We report to the owner of an unoccupied home of all issues found during a walkthrough. The owners decide which action plan they want to engage.
- Our home watch service is not a licensed "Home Inspection Service" for the purpose of buying or selling a property.
- Our service is not a live-in home sitting or pet sitting service. We do have a professional approach to Home Watching.
- Our service is not a licensed general contractor. We do not contract or sub-contract work on behalf of the owner.
- Our business is definitely not a service to find, buy or sell homes.
Why use Home Watcher LV?
Home Watcher LV
- A Professional Home Watch service is much more than an informal drive by or walk through.
- The service is designed to be proactive and protect your home by reducing the risks of crime and disasters.
- Think about all the conditions your security system will not detect.
- Did you receive important mail or a package while you were away?
- You will obtain recommendations to help reduce your energy cost and the risk of crime.
- Your home equipment will be shutdown or set-back properly for each season.
- You will receive a report quickly detailing any abnormal situations.
- You will have a report including the date and time of the visit. This may be required by your homeowner's insurance carrier.
- You will know a reliable person who can go to your property on demand if necessary.
- Finally, you should not worry about your Las Vegas home when you are away.
Can Home Watcher LV be the key holder for your property?
Key Holder
Home Watcher LV offers a key holder service. If you need someone to verify something or you need to provide property access to a contractor, we can help. At your request, we will go to the property to assess, report back to you, or address the situation. Reasonable time and/or mileage charges will apply (Minimum one hour). Common requests are; wifi router reset, security cameras issues, dead battery, chirping smoke/CO detectors. power outages, water leak sensor alert, unusual water consumption, trash handling, etc.
Recently, some Community Management Companies no longer keep your property keys for liability reasons. We can keep your keys in our safes and provide property access on a regular or emergency basis.
This service does not include any scheduled visits. All services are provided after a request from the client.
Recently, some Community Management Companies no longer keep your property keys for liability reasons. We can keep your keys in our safes and provide property access on a regular or emergency basis.
This service does not include any scheduled visits. All services are provided after a request from the client.
What form of payment does Home Watcher LV accept?
Forms of Payment
The invoices are emailed. We accept the following methods of payment:
An invoice for our scheduled services is sent at a minimum quarterly for long term Home Watch clients.
- Cash, checks, Bank Bill Pay, ACH, direct bank transfers and Zelle at no additional cost.
- Credit cards through PayPal only and a transaction fee will be added to the invoice.
- All credit card payments processed through PayPal will be charged a processing fee of up to 5%.
An invoice for our scheduled services is sent at a minimum quarterly for long term Home Watch clients.
Do I have to sign a long term contract?
No contract!
The answer is NO. You will not sign a binding long term contract. We are only asking our customers to sign a service agreement which describes the services, frequency, duration, cost and terms of the Home Watch services. This agreement is kept on file by Home Watcher LV for the purpose of billing, scheduling and as proof of property access if requested by law enforcement. If not cancelled or modified, the agreement will renew automatically on a yearly basis. It's that simple.
How do I change or cancel the Home Watcher LV services?
Cancellation?
First of all, since you do not have a long term binding contract with Home Watcher LV, there is nothing to worry about.
If you want to postpone, change or do not need the services anymore, here is how to do it;
If you want to postpone, change or do not need the services anymore, here is how to do it;
- Let us know by phone, by mail or email at least 7 days prior to the next visit to your property.
- We will send a confirmation email to make sure that there is no misunderstanding.
- If the services are no longer needed and there is a balance to your account, all the unspent funds will be reimbursed to you.
- It's that easy.
What is the "Bon Voyage" service?
Leaving in a hurry?
It's time to leave, everyone is excited, stressed and we always forget something.
The Bon Voyage service will ensure that;
The Bon Voyage service will ensure that;
- Your home is shutdown properly and all systems are set back for the season
- No trash or perishable food is left behind
- Everything is locked-up
- If you forgot something, let us know, we are local, we can help.
What is the "Welcome Back" service?
Arriving late?
You have been traveling all day and you walk into a cold (hot) home, no hot water.
The "Welcome Back" service will ensure that;
The "Welcome Back" service will ensure that;
- Your home is returned to life, water valves, water heater and water softener, A/C or furnace are turned back to normal mode.
- All systems set to normal operating conditions.
- Enjoy your home as soon as you arrive to Southern Nevada.
Why is a home watcher more reliable and less expensive than a house sitter?
A professional home watcher provides a service according to a visual walkthrough plan and standard procedures. A home watcher knows how to perform preventive tasks and detect most common home equipment problems. If a situation is discovered during a visual walkthrough, the home watcher will notify the owner promptly and may be able to remedy the situation immediately. If a live-in home sitter service is used, then all utilities and services (electrical, water, A/C, natural gas, pool, cable or satellite TV, internet, heating, etc.) will remain to a normal occupied home level. In southern Nevada, A/C alone in the summer is very costly. A home sitter may not have the technical expertise to detect and know what to do in case of an equipment issues. Finally, who is in your pool?
Can Home Watcher LV provide Handyman services?
Handyman service.
Home Watcher LV will help our customers with regular tasks such as light bulbs, batteries, and filters replacement. In Nevada, any Home Watch services should comply with the current State laws and can not provide general home repairs or maintenance. Home Watcher LV is focused on home watching and to helping identify maintenance needs to our clients. We are not in the construction, maintenance or remodeling business. Home Watcher LV recommends that if our clients do not have a home warranty contract, they should prepare in advance a list of their preferred service providers in case something needs to be addressed. (Electrician, plumber, landscaper, appliance repair, paint and stucco, glass replacement, windows and doors, carpentry, etc..) Once the service provider is identified by the client, we can start the coordination necessary for property access as needed.
Can Home Watcher LV provide Housekeeping services?
Housekeeping
Home Watcher LV does not provide housekeeping services, however, we can coordinate with your housekeeping services as needed. If applicable, we will allow access to the property and ensure that everything is locked-up when the work is done. Home Watcher LV is your key holder.