If you own a home in Naples that sits empty for part of the year, a scheduled home watch visit is the simplest way to know what is going on inside it while you are away. A home watch provider comes to the property on a set schedule, walks it with a checklist, takes photos, and tells you what they found. If something is wrong, you hear about it that day instead of when you arrive in November to a damp smell and a stained ceiling.
It probably feels odd to pay someone to walk through a house nobody is living in. Most owners we hear from put it the same way: nothing seems to be happening, so what is there to check? The answer is that most of what damages an empty Florida home happens quietly. A supply line weeps behind a toilet. An air handler stops cooling and humidity climbs. A screen tears in a storm and rain blows onto a lanai. None of it announces itself, and each one gets more expensive for every week it goes unnoticed.
What a typical home watch visit covers
Providers in the Naples area publish checklists that run from roughly 25 points for a condo to 35 or more for a single-family home. The details differ from company to company, but the pattern is consistent. Ask any provider to show you their checklist before you sign up.
Inside the home
- Signs of water: stains on ceilings and walls, damp cabinets under sinks, drips at toilets, washing machine and dishwasher connections
- Running water in sinks, showers and tubs and flushing toilets, so the traps stay full and sewer odors and pests stay out
- Thermostat setting, airflow from the vents, and indoor humidity
- Water heater, breakers that have tripped, appliances, clocks and lights
- Doors, windows and sliders locked, and any sign of entry or pests
- Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, and the security system if there is one
Outside the home
- Roofline, gutters and downspouts, and anything that looks different since the last visit
- Pool equipment and water level, lanai and screen enclosure
- Irrigation, landscaping and exterior lights
- Garage and exterior doors, and mail, flyers or packages left at the door that would signal an empty house
The report
After each visit you should get a written checklist and photos by email or text, plus an immediate call or message if something urgent turns up. That report is also your paper trail. If you ever have to make an insurance claim after a leak or a storm, a dated record showing the home was checked on a regular schedule is useful to have.
How often should the home be checked?
Providers around Naples typically offer monthly, bi-weekly and weekly schedules, and some add extra visits after storms. Weekly visits catch problems fastest and cost the most. Bi-weekly is a common middle ground for homes that are empty for months at a time. Monthly checks suit short absences or a condo with a building that watches the common areas.
Your homeowner policy matters here. Some policies limit coverage for homes left unoccupied for extended stretches, and some expect periodic checks. Read the vacancy or unoccupancy language in your policy and ask your agent what they expect before you choose a schedule.
What home watch is not
Home watch is a visual check by a trained person. It is not a licensed home inspection, it is not a security or alarm monitoring service, and it is not property management. Providers do not patrol, respond to alarms or manage rentals. If you need those services, they are separate businesses, and a good home watch provider will tell you where the line is.
It is also different from home sitting, where someone lives in the house. Home watch visits the property on a schedule and leaves.
Extras some providers offer
- Starting vehicles and moving them a short distance
- Watering indoor plants
- Accepting deliveries and collecting mail
- Photo or video of a particular room on request
- Meeting service people at the house (see contractor and vendor access)
What drives the cost
Home watch pricing in Florida commonly runs roughly $40 to $125 per visit, and weekly plans are often a few hundred dollars a month. The main factors are how often the home is visited, its size and complexity (a pool, a lanai, a guest house, a garage), how far the provider has to travel, and which extras you add. Be cautious of a price that is far below the others. A visit that takes ten minutes is not the same service as one that follows a full checklist and reports with photos.
Before you sign up, ask for proof of liability insurance, ask whether the provider is bonded, ask for references, and ask who covers your home if your regular person is sick or a storm hits. Those answers tell you more than the price does.
Naples specifics
Most Naples homes are checked on a seasonal rhythm. Owners are usually in town from roughly November through April, then leave for the hottest and wettest months, which overlap with hurricane season (June 1 to November 30). That is when the home is most exposed and least watched. Many owners ask for weekly or bi-weekly visits in summer and fall and a lighter schedule while they are in residence.
Gated and golf communities, including Pelican Bay, Grey Oaks, Mediterra, Quail West, Port Royal and Talis Park, usually require your provider to be on a guest list or registered with the gate. Tell your provider how access works before the first visit so they are not turned away. Condo buildings add their own rules about who can enter and when.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a home watch visit take?
It depends on the size of the home. A condo may take 20 to 30 minutes, and a larger single-family home with a pool and lanai can take an hour or more if the provider follows a full checklist.
Do I need to be there for the visit?
No. Most owners give the provider access through a lockbox, garage keypad or guest-list entry at the gate, and the provider locks up and reports when finished.
Can I change the schedule when I arrive or leave?
Yes. Most providers adjust visits around your travel, add a check before you arrive, and pause or reduce visits while you are home.
Areas served
Naples, Old Naples, Park Shore, Moorings, Coquina Sands, Port Royal, Pelican Bay, Grey Oaks, Mediterra, Quail West, Talis Park, Tiburon. Home watch in Bonita Springs | Home watch in Estero | Home watch in Marco Island