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House checks while you're away Beta
A neighbor stops by your empty house to bring in the mail, switch lights, check the doors and look for leaks while you travel.
- How often
- Trips
- Where the work happens
- Inside your home
- Who it suits
- Best done by an adult
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A house check is a short, regular visit to a home while its owners are gone: bring in mail and packages, switch a light or two, make sure doors and windows are locked, look for leaks, odd smells or anything out of place, and report back that all is well.
Travelers, seasonal residents, people with a listed house sitting empty, and family members looking after an aging parent's home all use it. It can be daily for a week or weekly for a whole season.
A neighbor down the street notices things a stranger would not, like a package left on the porch or a car in the driveway that should not be there. Because it means holding a key, it is adult work for someone you have met.
Also called: house check service, vacation home check, home watch service, check on my house while away, mail pickup while on vacation, empty house check.
What's usually included
- Collecting mail, packages and flyers from the door
- Walking through to look for leaks, temperature problems and alarms
- Trying doors and windows to make sure they are locked
- Switching lights or blinds so the house looks lived in
- Running water briefly in unused sinks and flushing toilets, if you ask
- A dated message or photo after every visit
What to ask before you hire
- How often: daily, every few days, or weekly?
- Which rooms and spots should they look at, such as under sinks, the water heater or the basement?
- What thermostat setting should they leave, and what is normal for your house?
- Who should they call first if something is wrong?
- Is anyone else allowed in while you are away, like a cleaner or a repair person, and on which days?
Staying safe
- If a door is open or a window is broken when you arrive, stay outside and call the owner and the police.
- Keep keys and codes private, and never share them, label them or leave them in your car.
- Leave the electrical panel and gas appliances alone beyond whatever the owner showed you.
House checks while you're away by town
Questions people ask
How often should someone check an empty house?
For a short trip, every day or two is common. For long absences, many owners choose once or twice a week, plus a visit after any big storm.
Isn't a doorbell camera enough?
A camera shows the front door; it will not find a slow leak under a sink or a furnace that quit. A person walking through catches those.
What happens if they find a problem?
Agree on it beforehand: who they call first, which plumber or repair person you use, and whether they may let that person in.
Does a house check mean going inside?
Mail and porch checks can be done from outside, but looking for leaks and checking the temperature means going in, so plan on a key or a door code.
Thinking of offering this yourself?
- A short checklist for each house, your phone for photos, and a safe way to carry unlabeled keys are all you need.
- Use the same checklist every visit and send it with the time on it, because that record is what customers value most.
- Change your visit times a little from day to day so the house does not look watched on a fixed schedule.
- Price per visit, with a daily or weekly plan, and factor in how close you live; check what home-watch help costs nearby before you choose your number.
- Ask returning customers for a standing instruction sheet so each new trip starts faster.
