How do you keep your home safe??

What happens to your home when you are not there to watch it? What if a hurricane hits?? What if you roof leaks?? What if you get an ant invasion?? How long does it sit like that until you return home??

Are you in the path of Irene??

How to make sure your home is safe- at all times!!

The last hurricane to hit the US was Hurricane Wilma in October 2005. That was a major deal in South Florida. We had already been nailed by a couple of previous storms, like Charley, which left us with a lot of damage.
So as the Florida did stay out of Irene's way, as I write this the whole East coast is evacuating and preparing for this massive storm. My heart and prayers go out to everyone in the path!
If you saw pictures from any other storms, you know full well the devastation that these storms can bring. The destruction of homes, and roads, and bridges, and anything else that is in the path of these monsters.
Let me ask you a question- What do you do if you have more than one home?? What if you are on vacation and flights get canceled and you can't check on your home??
Home watch services are here to protect your beloved dwelling and to make sure that any problems are immediately caught and taken care of.
Whether there is a storm coming or not- if you are away from your house for any periods of time, hiring a home watch company can give you the satisfaction that your home is being looked after.
I own a home watch/ cleaning company in Naples, FL- where it is extremely seasonal. Many of these homes are second, or vacation homes. They are not occupied full time. Snow birds- as we call them- are up north in the summer and come down here mainly from October- April. Its what we call our season.
I have also worked for a disaster restoration company for a few years and have seen what happens when homes are left unattended for some time. There are mold problems mostly. Especially when a connected unit has/ had a problem.
So when I visit a home to check it out- basically I check the exterior- make sure there are no bug trails or damage. I check mail, pick up newspapers, check door-bell. Inside I turn the water on, flush all toilets, run all faucets, check for water spots or bugs, check appliances and lights. I am looking for problems. If there are problems, I call the owner and we decide how to handle them. I do have a list of people I deal with if necessary.
Before a hurricane I will bring in outside furniture and whatever else needs to be moved. I will also lower shutters if they are there.
After the storm I will open shutters and check for damage.
Do you have someone to do that???

I hope everyone who spends time away from their house takes advantage of this under-rated, very important service. I think most people think they don't need it. I hope these people don't run into major problems that could have been minimized. I hope everyone stays safe during these storms.

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