Home Watch Services in Palm Beach County

Our advice, “Think it through first.”

Giving a friendly neighbor access to your house often seems like a good idea at first, but too often, it causes regrets. It’s a decision that is awkward to reverse. Many times when home owners give their neighbors access to their home, there are regrets:

1. What are you going to do if your friendly relationship with your neighbor goes sour or they start taking advantage of you? How will you feel about them having access to your home?
2. What if your neighbor brings some other neighbors or their friends along when they “check on your home?” This is a common occurrence. How will you feel about that?
3. Do you trust your neighbor’s teenage kids, their spouse, their ex-spouse, or that mysterious other person who is now living with your neighbor? Chances are, everyone living in your neighbor’s house will also have access to your home if they want it. Do you trust your neighbor’s teenage kids, their spouse, their ex-spouse, or that mysterious other person who is now living with your neighbor? If you discover things missing or damaged at your home, are you ready to have police talk your neighbor as a suspect?
4. When your neighbor is injured while checking your home, what’s to stop their insurance company from dragging you into a life-draining lawsuit? Nothing. Chances are, you neighbor isn’t bonded or insured to check on your home, no matter how casual that “favor” may seem.
5. How are you going to feel about asking for a key back, or telling your (ex) friend that you are taking away their access? Awkward! Who needs that stress? Friendship and relationship statuses change. Our advice: Keep home check professional.

The most common issues that happen to second homes in between visits: leaks, water damage, unwanted pests & insects, and vandalism. At Aristo, we’ve structured our home check program to address these issues; we will tailor our checklist to best align with your home and property’s needs.

House roofs and windows in South Florida are especially vulnerable due to several factors: extreme sun and heat, wood eating insects, wind, and storm damage. Even a new roof may suddenly fail after one of the torrential downpours with high winds South Florida is known for. Without warning, a roof-related water stain may appear on your ceiling or wall.

Roof, window, and door leaks can quickly turn into devastating and expensive issues in a home. It is urgent that even the smallest leak is discovered and remedied immediately. Left go, even a small amount of water can permanently ruin your home’s drywall, and can facilitate the growth of molds, some toxic to your health.

Aristo’s home visits include careful attention to any evidence of a leaking roof. If a new water spot is discovered, it will be documented during your home check and you will be notified immediately. If you need help having your roof or windows repaired, we are happy to assist

Imagine how you would feel if you arrived at your Florida home only to discover extensive damage from a leaking toilet on the 2nd floor or a broken pipe. This sort of thing happens in unattended homes more often than you might like to think.

Eventually, plumbing will fail. This is especially true in South Florida where the water can be corrosive, and plumbing associated with sinks, toilets, and ice-makers ages faster than you might expect. It is important to stay on top of your home’s condition, and to have someone keep guard when you’re not there.

With each home check, your Aristo team member will flush each toilet and check your home’s vulnerable areas where leaks often begin; around your hot water heater area, underneath your kitchen and bathroom sinks, and around your refrigerator/freezer (ice maker malfunctions).

Ants, cockroaches, termites, rats, and mice can quickly take root and invest an unattended home. Few homes remain impenetrable to these critters; once they are in your home, they quickly grow in numbers. In a short time, your home may experience problems that are expensive and troublesome to remedy; chewed electrical wires, urine and fecal matter odor, and property destruction from chewing.

In an unattended home, the water in your home’s unused drain traps evaporate, clearing the way for many types of insects to enter your home from the sewer and septic lines. With regular home checks and running water in each sink, this can be avoided.