37% of home water damage claims happen in vacant properties. Professional Home Watch visits — with photo reports — catch problems in hours, not weeks.
These are real scenarios from vacant DMV homes. Each one was preventable with a professional check.
Refrigerator water line rupture
Day 3–5 undetected
A slow leak saturates subfloor, spreads to hardwood, and begins mold growth before anyone notices.
$18,000–$35,000 in damage
HVAC failure in August heat
Day 1–2 undetected
Interior reaches 110°F+. Cabinetry warps, wood floors buckle, and any stored medications are ruined.
$8,000–$22,000 in damage
Burst pipe in winter
Hours undetected
HVAC failure in January causes pipes to freeze and burst. Without Home Watch, it runs for days undetected.
$15,000–$60,000+ in damage
Pest colony establishment
2–3 weeks undetected
A rodent finds a gap while you're away. Six weeks later it's a colony behind your kitchen walls.
$4,000–$12,000 in damage
Sump pump failure during storm
Hours undetected
Heavy DMV rainfall with a failed sump pump floods your finished basement. You find out when you return.
$12,000–$40,000 in damage
Package theft + storm damage
Ongoing undetected
Deliveries pile up signaling vacancy. A downed tree limb sits on the roof for 3 weeks unaddressed.
Varies in damage
Built on the national home-watch standard. Not a casual walkthrough — a structured, documented visit with professional accountability.
Photo report delivered within 24 hours
Every visit produces a time-stamped, GPS-verified photo report stored in your Home Dossier. If you're in another country, you'll see exactly what we saw.
| What you're checking | Neighbor / Housesitter | DMV Home Check |
|---|---|---|
| Inspection standard | No formal checklist | National home-watch standard (22-point inspection) |
| Documentation | Phone call or text | Time-stamped photo report, emailed within 24 hrs |
| Issue detection | Only obvious visible problems | Plumbing, HVAC, pest, structural, security |
| Accountability | None — no written record | GPS-verified visit log stored in your home dossier |
| Emergency notification | If they happen to notice | Same-day call for any condition requiring action |
| Liability | None — you assume all risk | Fully insured, professional service |
Same flat price across tiers — +$89/mo. The difference is which tier already includes it.
Quarterly included in Superintendent; monthly included in Estate
Coverage source: canonical add-on catalog. See the full add-on matrix on the Pricing page.
Each visit is logged in your Certified Maintenance Report — a signed, dated, tamper-evident record of your home's condition while you're away. Many insurers consider documented upkeep at renewal, so a clear record can help support better coverage conversations, and the same timestamped history is the evidence adjusters accept if you ever need to file a claim.
See how Certified Reports workStart with a free consultation. We'll explain how Home Watch integrates with your membership and answer any questions about your specific property.
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