Shield Home Watch

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Home Watch

Our home watch inspections provide peace of mind through scheduled inspections at your vacant property while you are away. The National Home Watch Association describes a Home Watch inspection as “a visual inspection of a home or property looking for obvious issues.” During the inspections, we are looking at the overall condition of the home for various problems, including plumbing, electrical, HVAC, and other items that could become major expenses if not found early. Our goal is to find obvious leaks, pests or mold before they grow old! Potentially, one adverse event could pay for years of Shield Home Watch inspections!

Although our home watch checklist is designed to cover the important aspects of your home, it can easily be customized to meet the needs of our clients. We strive to bring flexibility to our scheduling and home inspections. If there is a need for us to inspect your home at a certain time, on a certain day; we will do everything in our power to meet that need. Again, our future depends on your satisfaction.

Should the walk through uncover a problem, Shield Home Watch will immediately notify our client to discuss options to address the concern (see Sample Inspection Report). If it is within our scope of practice, we will gladly work with our client to resolve the issue. We can also provide a wide variety of qualified trades people to assist the homeowner. The homeowner can then instruct Shield Home Watch on how they would like to proceed.

Shield Certified Home Watch inspectors add security to your vacant home by creating the illusion of occupancy. We remove junk mail, flyers and other debris from your yard that indicate to the criminal element, “this home is vacant!”. We are fully accredited, insured, and bonded in Manatee County, Florida. Our services can be modified to meet your needs and we offer frequent communication providing clients with peace of mind.

Do you have additional needs that are not listed below? Please contact us directly.

Home Watch Inspection

Interior

Walk the interior of the entire home, performing a visual check of ceilings, walls, doors and windows for any signs of vandalism, forced entry, insects or rodents, or mold as well as make sure windows and doors are secure and locked.
Inspect electrical panel to make sure no breakers are tripped due to power surges or outages.
Report on water heater setting and adjust at client request.
Check for unusual sounds or odors.
Clean doorway and store or recycle newspapers or fliers and store mail out of sight in a predetermined spot, or forward to another address (at client request, extra fees apply).
Select lighting to leave on, or place timers.
Open and/or close drapes at client request.
Check for signs of water leakage from interior sources, such as the hot water heater, dishwater, clothes washer hoses, irrigation connection, and under sinks.
Turn air conditioning or heating on/off, if requested. Temperature is recorded each visit and filters are inspected periodically.
Flush all toilets, checking for normal function, and check for leaks.
Check and run all faucets and showers to make sure that the P-trap is full to avoid sewer gas from coming into the home, and to keep washers, gaskets and seals moist.
Check smoke detectors and replace batteries (for a small additional fee + cost of batteries).
Check for garbage and remove (extra fees may apply if large amounts are required to be disposed of).
Report on home condition or cleanliness, if home was being used by authorized visitors.
Run garbage disposal to prevent failure.
Check that the icemaker is turned off and empty.
Make sure the chimney flue is closed to maintain heat and keep out pests.
Check the garage or carport for general cleanliness and report any issues.
Visually check for stains signs of water leaks; ceilings, windows and doors.
Visually check signs of pest intrusion.
Check windows for signs of mold and verify they are locked.
Check decks for standing water and dry rot.
Check refrigerator and freezer adjust settings accordingly.
Check thermostat, run heating and air conditioning to verify operation.
Check the settings of room humidifiers service humidifiers if needed.
Visually check for signs of mildew and mold.
Forward first class mail remove newspapers and flyers.
Set the alarm system and lock doors upon departure of building.
IMMEDIATELY report to client of any abnormalities found (see Sample Inspection Report).

Exterior

Perform an exterior check around the entire home and property.
Check gates and fences and all doors, screens and windows around the home for obvious signs of damage, breakage, forced entry and vandalism.
Clear any debris, newspapers, fliers or mail from around the front entry.
Look for signs of broken branches on nearby trees that could be hazardous to people or the property or if the situation(s) post a fire hazard.
Report on cleanliness issues with exterior home or yard maintenance, if Shield Home Watch is not providing maintained service.
View the roof area, noting any damage, missing roofing materials or signs of gutter leakage and/or blockage.
Check for signs of insect or rodent pests.
Check water taps and irrigation connections for any leaks or drips.
Check that the main water valve is turned off after each inspection (unless otherwise requested by the client – ie. water timers are being utilized).
Check for any unusual odors or sounds and for any overland drainage issues.
Check that the exterior lighting is functioning properly, with no burned-out bulbs.
Collect trash bins from the street if they were left out.
Test the doorbell to ensure that it is working prior to entering the home.
Walk the perimeter of the home and check for overall condition, erosion, signs of water leakage or drainage issues.
Check landscaping for potential problems, in the event a landscaping issue is noticed landscapers will be notified for correction.
Check windows screens and doors for any damage or signs of intrusion.
Check mailbox forward first class mail, remove newspapers and fliers.
Check exterior walls and trim for visible signs of maintenance issues.
Check garage, open and close garage doors.
Check exterior lights, replace bulbs when necessary.
Visually check siding and walls for cracks and water issues.
Check fences and walls both within the interior and exterior of the property.
Check for any visual damage and potential issues on property.
Visually check for any insect or pest intrusion.
Check decks steps and walkways to remain clear.
Check decks for water ponding and dry rot.
IMMEDIATELY report to client of any abnormalities found (see Sample Inspection Report).

Contact Us for a Free Consultation

Every home is as different as every homeowner. Let Shield Home Watch provide you with with a free consultation regarding your home and its vulnerability when you are away. While living is the area is great, the climate can be very hard on your home and without timely checks, mold, leaks and other problems can quickly result in thousands of dollars of damage. We can be there when you are not.