Home Watch

Home Watch service is a comprehensive house/property watch and security service that provides clients with the peace of mind in knowing that a CA State, Licensed, Bonded, Insured, Professional security agent will be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to check on their home. Security personnel are available to periodically inspect the interior of unattended homes for signs of environmental, criminal or vandal activity and to respond to any threat to the safety and security of that property.

Home Watch service includes detailed exterior and interior property inspection with special attention to any specifics at the owner’s request.

Our home watch services include a full exterior and interior inspection including what is outlined below:

Full Exterior Inspection: (complete exterior walk-around)

• Exterior Inspection
• Check all exterior doors, entry ways and windows – Make sure all exterior entrances to property are secure and look for signs of intrusion or vandalism.
• Roofing and Siding – inspect roof and exterior walls for signs of damage, loose shingles, ice dams, etc…
• Grounds/Perimeter – Check exterior grounds and perimeter for any issues/problems.
• Pick up Flyers/Mail/Newspapers – gather up anything that might make it look like the house is unoccupied.
• Exterior Lights – Check exterior lights for signs of damage.

Full Interior Inspection: (complete interior walk-through)

• Interior Inspection
• For un-winterized properties (water system not drained) – check the bathroom/kitchen plumbing fixtures and basement plumbing for leaks.
• Roof Leaks – Visual interior inspection of all the ceilings for any signs of water leaks, etc…
• Temperature – check the interior temperature
• Humidity – check the interior humidity of the property.
• Alarm System (if applicable) – Check alarm system to make sure it is armed.
• Other Alert System (if applicable) – Check other systems such as flood, water and freeze alarms, to make sure they are working properly.
• Interior Lights – Check interior lights to make sure they are working. Check and adjust lighting timer schedule if necessary
• Test smoke detectors – Make sure the smoke detectors are working – conduct test
• Check circuit breakers – Look in the electrical circuit breaker boxes for tripped breakers.
• Monitor Electricity – electrical usage monitoring, reading of electric meter
• Monitor Water Meter – water usage monitoring, reading of water meter.

Reporting

Professional home watch services, like Innovative Protection Patrol keep detailed internal files of each property and reports (including GPS and time stamped photos) of every home check. Many home watch clients only want to be contacted if there is an issue. Other clients prefer to be notified after every home watch check. Houses are typically checked once or twice a week during the off-season. The following reporting options are available for Home Watch clients:

Only contact you if there is a problem. (Reports are still created, recorded and stored internally by us for every home watch check.)

Full web based report w/ digital images of the property sent to you via email right from the property. (Reports can also be sent via fax, or postal mail.)

Additional and optional Home Watch services may include the following:

• Flood and Freeze Alarm – Install and monitor/respond to low temperature freeze alarms. (Many homeowner’s insurance policies require a freeze alarm to be installed in unoccupied or second homes. Check with your insurance provider for requirements or any available discounts.) For Flood and Low Temperature alarm response (see keyholder alarm response)
• Vendor Visits – Provide access for service providers or accept a delivery – There may be times while your away that you would like a delivery accepted or services performed by third party contractors at the residence. Innovative Protection can open the residence for the provider and monitor the work outside of regularly scheduled visits. These vendor visits include one hour of time and are billed whether or not the vendor shows. Additional time beyond one hour will be billed separately.
• Lock Out Let-Ins – Are you or your guests locked out of the home? Our home watch service can provide let-in services in the event you or your house guests are locked out of the home. We are able to also furnish extra keys at owner’s discretion for a nominal fee.
• Automobiles – Check on automobiles during the off season. Start automobiles and let run for a time to keep batteries charged.
• Alarm Response and Security Monitoring – Innovative Protection can serve as your security system local contact/key-holder if there is an alarm activation. You will need to notify your alarm monitoring company to call us as well as the appropriate local authorities.—see keyholder alarm response)
• Storm Damage Assessment – Customers can request a house check immediately after a storm to assess any damage. There may be an additional inspection charge if the storm damage assessment is outside of your normal inspection schedule.
• Storm Preparation – Innovative Protection can assist in developing a storm readiness plan and assist with the execution of that plan.
• Other – Anything else that you may require. There are many other additional services that you may require from your home watch provider.

Additional Information

Here are some things you may want to keep in mind when hiring a home watch service:

Properties with several outbuildings or large homes over 2500 square feet may require additional

charges.Ask about discounted rates for full off-season/winter and multiple homes in the same neighborhood. Get your neighbors together and receive discounted rates for Home Watch services.

Planning on a short vacation and need your residence checked during this time? home watch services can also provide Vacation Watch services for those clients requiring short term house watch services.