What Services Should a Home Watch Business Offer?

Start with one service you can explain in a sentence and deliver consistently:

Scheduled visual Home Watch visits of unoccupied residential properties, with documented results and prompt reporting of obvious concerns.

Do not launch with a 30-item concierge menu before you have mastered the core visit.

Core service: the Home Watch visit

Your base service should define:

• visit frequency
• areas checked
• checklist categories
• reporting method
• issue-escalation process
• expected visit duration/range
• exclusions

A typical visit can include agreed visual checks of the exterior, interior, HVAC status, visible plumbing areas, appliances, pests, security indicators, and other property-specific items.

The actual checklist should be customized to the home.

Add-on category 1: vendor access

Examples:

• meet plumber
• meet HVAC technician
• let housekeeper in
• receive appliance delivery
• remain on site during service when agreed
• lock and secure the property afterward

Define whether you are simply granting access or supervising/accepting work on the owner's behalf.

Do not represent yourself as verifying the technical quality of licensed work unless that is actually within your expertise and agreement.

Add-on category 2: arrival and departure

Examples:

Pre-arrival

• thermostat adjustment
• agreed lights
• basic property opening procedure
• grocery or supply coordination
• confirm services are ready

Post-departure

• verify windows/doors
• thermostat setting
• remove perishable trash if included
• confirm agreed appliances/settings
• secure property

Use a checklist. Arrival/departure services create liability if they depend on memory.

Add-on category 3: storm preparation and post-storm checks

Services vary enormously by region.

Possible tasks:

• move agreed outdoor items
• verify shutters according to defined scope
• document pre-storm condition
• perform post-storm visual assessment when authorities say access is safe
• photograph obvious damage

Do not promise emergency access during unsafe conditions or before roads/communities reopen.

If installing shutters or performing work that can trigger contractor requirements, verify licensing rules.

Add-on category 4: vehicle checks

Some operators offer:

• visual vehicle condition check
• battery-tender observation
• start/run procedure
• tire-pressure observation

Vehicle operation can create insurance and liability considerations. Get written client instructions and confirm your insurance position before offering it.

Add-on category 5: mail/packages

Possible services:

• bring packages inside
• forward mail
• notify owner of deliveries

Define limits. Do not casually take responsibility for high-value shipments, medications, legal notices, or perishable deliveries without a clear procedure.

Add-on category 6: simple household tasks

Examples may include:

• change owner-supplied batteries
• water plants
• reset a tripped GFCI if within your documented procedure and competence
• basic non-repair tasks

The line between a simple concierge task and regulated repair work is jurisdiction-specific. If the work becomes repair/installation/contracting, stop and verify the rule.

Services to keep separate unless properly qualified

Be careful with:

• plumbing repairs
• electrical repairs
• HVAC repair
• roofing
• structural work
• locksmith services
• formal home inspections
• security patrol/guard work
• property/rental management
• mold remediation
• pest-control treatment

You can often coordinate those vendors without performing their licensed work.

Build your service menu in three layers

Core

One recurring Home Watch visit product.

Common add-ons

Three to five services you can perform reliably and insure appropriately.

Custom concierge

“Ask us” services reviewed case-by-case before accepting them.

This keeps the website simple while leaving room for legitimate client needs.

Document every service operationally

For each service, write:

• what triggers the service
• what exactly you do
• what you do not do
• price structure
• authorization required
• required photos/report
• safety limits
• who can perform it
• insurance/license considerations

If you cannot write that procedure, you are not ready to sell the service at scale.

HomeWatchTools use

HomeWatchTools can be used to keep service-related client/property information together, schedule visits, run property-specific checklists, record concierge/maintenance tasks, and generate documented reports.

Software does not define your legal scope; it helps you execute the scope you have already defined.

How to know this step is complete

Publish or internally finalize:

• one core Home Watch package
• visit-frequency options
• 3–5 optional add-ons at most
• clear exclusions
• a procedure for custom requests

Then price each one from your real cost.

Next step

Set Home Watch pricing that accounts for drive time and overhead →

Sources

• NHWA definition/standards: https://www.nationalhomewatchassociation.org/about-us
• Current operator service examples: https://www.homeazwatch.com/our-services/
• HomeWatchTools: https://www.homewatchtools.com/