You've invested in a vacation home for yourself and your family. When you're back at your primary residence, you need to know your vacation property is
safe—and in excellent condition.
Many vacation homeowners turn to a professional home watch service to keep an eye on their properties. Having a neighbor or friend stop by for an occasional check is nice, but a professional Hawaiian home watch service can go beyond a casual glance to make sure your property remains ready for your next trip to paradise.
How do you find the
right Kona home watch service? Not every "home watch" service is reputable or dependable! Ask these five questions when interviewing a professional to keep an eye on your vacation home.
1. Are You Licensed and Insured?
First things first:
make sure your home watch company is legit.
There are plenty of house watching companies out there, but the best experts are also property managers. Who better to keep an eye on your vacation home than trained professionals who manage rental properties?
You don't need to worry about a property manager leasing your home while you're away. However, you
do want the experience of a property manager when someone watches your property. They know what to look for during an inspection, and they have the licensing, insurance, and
professional affiliations you want for anyone to be in and around your property in a professional capacity.
2. What's Your Experience on the Big Island?
Having a
vacation home on the Big Island means you've probably spent enough time here to know we have some unique aspects to island life. Keeping an investment property in excellent condition in Kona is different than maintaining properties back on the mainland.
We deal with hurricane weather, salt water spray, and plenty of household pests. Plus, we have unique regulations that apply to vacation properties that protect our island's natural resources.
Be sure your home watch professional understands the conditions of the island and your property. It's not worth the risk of choosing a house watching service without enough experience successfully overseeing other Kona properties. Longevity isn't everything in this business. However, experience can be a significant asset when overseeing
your vacation asset while you're away.
3. How Do I Know You Really Check My Home?
Since you're not in Kona, how do you
know your home watch service is truly watching your house? Are they inspecting as often as is outlined in your agreement? Are they checking everything they're supposed to check?
Ask if your home watch service provides inspection reports.
The best professionals give you a detailed report everytime they inspect your property, including:
- Exterior locations checked and the conditions of each site
- Interior items inspected, along with the condition of each item
- Unusual activity, like package deliveries or squatter activity
- Damage reports (with recommended repair solutions)
- Time, date, and length of the inspection visit
- Photos or videos.
This type of reporting is standard operating procedure for expert home watch professionals.
You should never have to wonder when or if your home inspections are on schedule. You should also never wonder about the condition of your vacation home while you're away.
4. What Services Do You Offer?
Look for a company that offers a range of services and pricing packages. You need to feel like you're in control of how your
Kona vacation home is cared for while you're away. A standard, inflexible package might not provide the level of customization you need to feel like your vacation property is in good hands.
Don't sacrifice the quality of services to save money. Choose the best experts, then work with them on the best services that fit your needs. Keep it simple with "standard" inspection services, like exterior and interior walk-throughs. If it's time for a renovation or you've planned repair work for your property, work with your home watch property managers to coordinate contractors and oversee the work.
5. How Do You Handle a Problem?
What your home watch team does when something goes
wrong is a true test of their value to vacation homeowners. We get it: things happen. When an emergency arises, you need an expert that immediately alerts you to a problem and handles it according to how you've empowered them to act on your behalf.
Your home watch professional should be a problem-solver. They should also provide transparency about issues found during an inspection, and give you solutions that you can trust are the right thing to do.
We're a Home Watch Team You Can Trust
It's not easy to trust your vacation home to anyone while you're away. It's critical to ask the right questions when interviewing
home watch companies in Kona to make sure you have the peace of mind you need.
Hawaiian Dream Home Watch has the Kona experience you need! As property managers,
we know how to keep a professional eye on properties, so our property owners don't have to worry about a thing. We're licensed and insured. We also follow the high standards of the International Home Watch Alliance so you can trust us with your home.
We offer peace of mind along with professional oversight of your home. Let's get our eyes and experience focused on your vacation home so that you can rest easy on the mainland.
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