Extreme Weather and the Essential Value of Home Watch Services

by Jack Luber, NHWA Founder & Executive Director

Every year, thousands of snowbirds and seasonal travelers trade snowy landscapes for sunshine and warm tropical breezes. While they enjoy beaches, golf courses, and milder climates, their northern homes are left behind to face harsh winter weather alone.

Snow, wind, sleet, ice storms, freezing rain, ice dams, and frozen pipes can quickly turn an unmonitored home into a costly disaster. A single burst pipe can cause flooding, structural damage, mold growth, and long‑term issues that remain unnoticed for extended periods.

This is where professional Home Watch services, enhanced with modern technology, digital reporting tools, and smart-home monitoring, deliver unmatched value.

The Problem: Unoccupied Homes Are Vulnerable

Any home—occupied or not—can experience unexpected issues. The difference is simple:

• Occupied homes catch problems in real time.

• Unoccupied homes remain vulnerable, sometimes for months, until someone happens to check in.
  

Many homeowners still rely on neighbors, relatives, or friends to “stop by” occasionally. While well‑meaning, this creates significant risk.

The Risks of Relying on Favors

• They may not know what to look for.

• Their own schedules, health, or travel plans may prevent them from checking in reliably.

• Storms or emergencies may keep them from reaching your home.

• Warning signs are easily missed by untrained eyes.

• If damage occurs, responsibility becomes murky and personal relationships can suffer.
  

In contrast, professional Home Watch providers deliver reliability, expertise, and documentation—without emotional complications.

The Solution: Accredited Home Watch Services

An accredited Home Watch professional offers consistent, documented, and skilled oversight. These services are:

• Vetted and background checked

• Licensed and fully insured

• Trained in industry standards and best practices

• Committed to ethical, professional home care
  

Their primary responsibility is clear:

“Perform a visual inspection of a home or property, looking for obvious issues.”

Today’s leading Home Watch providers also use technology-enhanced tools such as:

• GPS‑verified reporting software

• Time‑stamped digital checklists

• Smart home monitoring integrations

• AI‑powered home safety alerts

• Remote environmental sensors (temperature, humidity, leak detection)
  

These innovations provide accuracy, transparency, and immediate documentation for homeowners—especially those thousands of miles away.

Your Home’s Advocate in Every Season

Snowbirds rely on Home Watch professionals at both ends of their migration:

• Northern home: Protected during the winter escape to Florida, the Carolinas, Texas, Arizona, or other sunbelt states.

• Southern home: Protected when they return north for the summer.
  

In both cases, Home Watchers work in the extreme conditions their clients prefer not to live in—heat waves, ice storms, frigid temperatures, or heavy snow.

Imagine listening to Jimmy Buffett while relaxing by the pool, knowing your Home Watch professional may be navigating snowy back roads or icy driveways to check on your home. That peace of mind is priceless.

Risk Mitigation That Protects Your Investment

Home Watch is a risk mitigation service, not risk elimination. However, routine check-ins dramatically improve outcomes by:

• Detecting issues early

• Reducing damage severity

• Lowering repair costs

• Minimizing insurance claims

• Meeting insurance requirements for vacant homes
  

Many insurance companies now require a “responsible adult” to check vacant homes regularly. In some areas—like Canada—this may be as often as every 48 hours to two weeks.

Professional Home Watch services meet these terms while providing digital proof of each visit through home monitoring technology, GPS‑verified logs, and AI‑enhanced reporting tools.

Professional Oversight vs. Personal Favors

When leaving your home unoccupied, the choice becomes clear:

• A neighbor doing you a favor

  or

• A trained, insured, accredited Home Watch professional with documented reports and smart‑home monitoring tools

Professional service comes with a cost—but so does reliability, expertise, insurance compliance, and consistent protection.

While you sip a margarita and enjoy the sunshine, your Home Watch professional is out there—helping to keep your home maintained, secure, and ready for your return.