Since vacant homes can be a magnet for break-ins or vandalism, it’s a good idea for homeowners to try to protect their investments by engaging someone to occupy or regularly visit the premises. Clients should understand that having someone living in or inspecting a vacant home can be critical to protecting a property, as long as it’s the right someone and the expectations are well understood by both sides. The right forethought can avoid unintended problems from occurring.
In the past, a house sitter usually was known to the owner–a relative or friend who could be counted on to stay in the property or regularly visit it to give it that lived-in appearance. More recently, the Internet has spawned numerous on-line services to help match up homeowners and house sitters.
“People are often lax about their property when they invite a friend or neighbor to sit, and they don’t necessarily communicate and agree on what needs to happen,” said Dick Ryther, Vice President of Risk Control Services at US-Reports. A prized possession may be broken, a small leak overlooked or the sitter’s priorities may change, leaving the untended home ripe for a break-in.
A better source of occupancy may be an agency where the expectations are more likely to be clearly spelled out for all parties. “If your client is considering engaging a house sitter through an agency, it is wise to do a background check, a references check and to make sure that person is insured and the agency bonded,” he said.
Ryther also suggested an extra precaution—advising the homeowner to lock up valuables and limit computer access.
Another option is to engage a home-watch company to visit the home two to four times a month to inspect and service the building’s exterior and interior. These companies typically do lawn care and check the siding and roof to avoid the appearance of vacancy and to detect leaks and other problems early, according to Jack Luber, Executive Director of the National Home Watch Association, a newly established industry organization. The average price per visit is between $30 and $40.
Home-watch businesses have grown dramatically in part due to the large numbers of unsold homes and vacation properties that are leasing more slowly and whose owners visit less frequently. When he started his home-watch business in 2005, Luber found only 10 to 12 home-watch websites. Today there are about 1,000, he said. The Association was created to assure professionalism by training and certifying members.