Talk of The Villages Florida

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-   The Villages, Florida, General Discussion (https://www.talkofthevillages.com/forums/villages-florida-general-discussion-73/)
-   -   Home Watch Recommendations Needed (https://www.talkofthevillages.com/forums/villages-florida-general-discussion-73/home-watch-recommendations-needed-321451/)

KRMACK55 07-10-2021 09:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Velvet (Post 1970700)
I like Empty Nest, the Villages Property Management. They open my home before I come. When furniture arrived they stayed while it was put in place and sent me photos of how it looked. Same with installation of appliances and I could not be there. They check the irrigation and sinks etc They will call my lawn services etc if anything needs to be looked after. It’s as if I was there myself. :) I had a problem with an installer and since Empty Nest was the contact while I was not there, they sorted it out for me. They are not inexpensive, about $100 a month for me, but you get what you pay for.

They are terrible and you pay crazy money because of their name. Get a referral from anyone else but stay away from them ! Unreliable inconsistent stay clear

graciegirl 07-10-2021 10:18 AM

We personally know and highly recommend the integrity of Don and Brenda Cunningham, 352.391.2564 352.272.9924

Velvet 07-10-2021 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KRMACK55 (Post 1971077)
They are terrible and you pay crazy money because of their name. Get a referral from anyone else but stay away from them ! Unreliable inconsistent stay clear

Did you read my post at all?

Papa_lecki 07-10-2021 11:16 AM

I gave the home watch a lot of thought - it comes down to trust….
Who do you trust to be in your home every week.
Any company can print up a check list, email it to you, etc - but it comes down to the gut feel of the person who will be in your house week after week.

Only you can make the price/value equation. I can find cheap and expensive home watch people;
only you can say that $100 a month is too expensive or I trust this person a lot and $35 a month is a fair price.
And like every service provider, there will be customers who had great experiences with them and customers who had terrible experiences. Up to you to do due diligence.

thelegges 07-10-2021 11:59 AM

Just make sure they are insured and bonded. If a problem arises there is a backup if damage happens. As for asking a neighbor, that would be the last thing I would do. What if they missed something that caused damage, then what. One of our neighbors had a friend check on their house, forgot to turn off the water, toilet started leaking, water damage bathroom, and closet. Plus the large water bill. Home was being checked every 2 weeks, so lots of water in 2 weeks

Nucky 07-10-2021 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thelegges (Post 1971130)
Just make sure they are insured and bonded. If a problem arises there is a backup if damage happens. As for asking a neighbor, that would be the last thing I would do. What if they missed something that caused damage, then what. One of our neighbors had a friend check on their house, forgot to turn off the water, toilet started leaking, water damage bathroom, and closet. Plus the large water bill. Home was being checked every 2 weeks, so lots of water in 2 weeks

Doing a favor and missing something can cause the person doing the watching a problem also. No good deed goes unpunished.

I'm down to only watching one house for a neighbor because they are so nice I can't say no. I had them sign a letter that holds me harmless just in case. :clap2:

retiredguy123 07-10-2021 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thelegges (Post 1971130)
Just make sure they are insured and bonded. If a problem arises there is a backup if damage happens. As for asking a neighbor, that would be the last thing I would do. What if they missed something that caused damage, then what. One of our neighbors had a friend check on their house, forgot to turn off the water, toilet started leaking, water damage bathroom, and closet. Plus the large water bill. Home was being checked every 2 weeks, so lots of water in 2 weeks

I would turn off the house main water valve and leave it off. Some people think they need to have someone come into their house, turn on the water, and flush the toilets on a regular basis. In my opinion, that is a bad idea. Toilet leaks are the most common reason for flooding in a house.

graciegirl 07-10-2021 12:24 PM

We personally know and highly recommend the integrity of Don and Brenda Cunningham, 352.391.2564 352.272.9924

Papa_lecki 07-10-2021 12:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by retiredguy123 (Post 1971134)
I would turn off the house main water valve and leave it off. Some people think they need to have someone come into their house, turn on the water, and flush the toilets on a regular basis. In my opinion, that is a bad idea. Toilet leaks are the most common reason for flooding in a house.

I think you want to flush the toilet to keep the seal on the bottom from drying out. Once every month or two is probably adequate.

You want someone inside, in case the rain from a week ago resulted in a leak.

retiredguy123 07-10-2021 12:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thelegges (Post 1971130)
Just make sure they are insured and bonded. If a problem arises there is a backup if damage happens. As for asking a neighbor, that would be the last thing I would do. What if they missed something that caused damage, then what. One of our neighbors had a friend check on their house, forgot to turn off the water, toilet started leaking, water damage bathroom, and closet. Plus the large water bill. Home was being checked every 2 weeks, so lots of water in 2 weeks

It seems as though the neighbor's flood damage would be covered by their homeowners insurance. I doubt that any insurance that a home watch company had would be a primary payer. But, if you want the home watch company to have insurance, you need to get a letter from their insurance company stating what it covers, the limits of coverage, and the current status of the premium payments. I suspect that very few people actually require that type of proof.

retiredguy123 07-10-2021 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Papa_lecki (Post 1971145)
I think you want to flush the toilet to keep the seal on the bottom from drying out. Once every month or two is probably adequate.

You want someone inside, in case the rain from a week ago resulted in a leak.

I agree with checking the house for rain leaks. But, I'm not sure what toilet seal you are referring to. The donut seal where the toilet connects to the floor will not dry out. And the internal parts inside the tank will last a lot longer than a few months without drying out. You may want to cover the tank with Saran wrap to prevent the trap from drying out and causing sewer gas to enter the house. There are a lot of vacant houses in The Villages that are for sale for many months, including new houses, and I don't think the builder or the real estate agents have someone flush all the toilets on a regular schedule. Some new houses don't even have the water turned on for months during construction.

easydog 07-10-2021 03:06 PM

Home watch
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by turnercw (Post 1970417)
Hello, we are newbies to TV and have contacted several home watch services with no luck. They are either booked or do not respond to their email/phone provided.

Do you have a good recommendation for a trustworthy company or individual to check on our home in McClure while we are away during the month of August?

Thank you so much!

You may contact me...... at edwin.wingham@gmail.com .....

thelegges 07-10-2021 03:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by retiredguy123 (Post 1971146)
It seems as though the neighbor's flood damage would be covered by their homeowners insurance. I doubt that any insurance that a home watch company had would be a primary payer. But, if you want the home watch company to have insurance, you need to get a letter from their insurance company stating what it covers, the limits of coverage, and the current status of the premium payments. I suspect that very few people actually require that type of proof.

Actually at our first house, our neighbors were Canadian, had a popular home watch, when they arrived there was water damage at their home, along with mold issues. Homeowners insurance asked for all reports from home watch. Owners paid deductible, their insurance cover the rest.

Homeowners insurance then contacted Home Watch, for restitution that was paid out. Home watch insurance paid the damage, and the homeowners had their deductible returned. Yes your insurance has the right to seek payment from a home watch, or an accident that does damage to your home, from a non homeowner.

stebooo 07-10-2021 06:25 PM

Never have used a company. Have a friend or neighbor do it. Reward them

dshoberg 07-10-2021 06:35 PM

Home Watch
 
Down Home Property Mgmt.....(352) 753-0976
Have had them for 6 years and no issues


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