Home Watch FAQ’s – See More Information About Great Lakes Cottage Watch!

home watch faq to help our visitors understand more about Great Lakes Cottage Watch

What is Home Watch?

The National Home Watch Association defines Home Watch as “The visual inspection of an unoccupied home or property, looking for obvious issues.”

Are you insured?

Great Lakes Cottage Watch is insured, bonded, and accredited and participates in the National Home Watch Association Code of Ethics.

My alarm company provides security for my home. What value do you add?

An alarm company monitors entry into your home or a fire alarm but does not monitor potential problems due to broken pipes, mold, pests, or squatters. We identify those problems or the possibility of their occurrence and notify you for guidance.

We have a neighborhood watch program. Doesn’t that do the same thing?

Most neighborhood watch programs are passive by nature and do not provide the level of engagement with your property that Great Lakes Cottage Watch provides. We will check your property’s interior and exterior in far more detail than you can expect from a neighborhood watch program.

Do you provide keyholder services?

Absolutely! We can coordinate access to your property for any situation at an hourly rate. All we need is your notification of date and time and any instructions you have.

If you find a problem how will I be notified?

Great Lakes Cottage Watch will send you a report after completion of a home visit accompanied by photos and details documenting any issues discovered.

What is Great Lakes Cottage Watch?

Great Lakes Cottage Watch is an insured, bonded, and accredited professional Home Watch Service serving 4 counties in the Traverse City Michigan area. We check your property and identify problems or potential problems that can occur while your property is vacant. We provide a physical presence that is unavailable through a remote alarm monitoring service. We can help with most requests you have by contacting us.

What type of reporting can I expect from you?

Great Lakes Cottage Watch will send you a detailed report by email with pictures of any problems identified upon completion of inspecting the interior and exterior of your home. Our use of customized software allows for the owner to visually see some of the key health criteria of the home and its core systems in addition to both outside and inside conditions due to weather or other natural events. This gives you a much more detailed view that cameras may not capture, or trigger a response when it may cause damage to the property.

Are your services expensive?

We think our services are reasonably priced for the value we provide. When you compare the possible damage due to a leak or damage by pests or vagrants with the cost, our services are an excellent value. We will be happy to discuss our pricing for home watch services and any additional services you may require at a free consultation.

If I need coordination with contractors doing work on my home can you help?

Great Lakes Cottage Watch will provide access services and remain on-site for an hourly charge. We ask for at least a 48-hour notification to schedule our personnel.

Can you help me with home maintenance services?

While we do provide some home maintenance services ourselves, we know we cannot be experts in all services and will often coordinate, or refer you to quality contractors or vendors and arrange access to your property. Please ask us and we will be happy to provide more information.

Are you a house sitter service?

We are not house sitters. Our core service includes periodic visits to your home where we follow a specific and mutually agreed upon checklist. We are in your home for less than an hour per visit and take great pride in that your home is as you left it for your return. House sitters are not looking to be caretakers and generally do not have the expertise and knowledge to handle problems that may arise.

What are your credentials?

Great Lakes Cottage Watch proudly displays the Accredited banner of the National Home Watch Association. We have been vetted and approved by this organization to insure we are bonded and insured for your protection. We also subscribe to the NHWA’s Code of Ethics.

How often do I need a home watch service?

We recommend weekly or bi-weekly inspections. When regular visits are performed there is considerably less of a problem or issue turning into a major incident.

Are you a property inspector?

While we check your property, we are NOT a property inspector. Property inspectors are usually involved in the sale of a property to do a detailed inspection of the structure, plumbing, electrical, heating, and air condition systems. Great Lakes Cottage Watch provides a visual inspection of your vacant home or property looking for obvious issues.

My question isn’t covered in your Home Watch FAQ list. How can I get more information?

Sorry we did not cover something specific to your concern in our Home Watch FAQ list. Please use any of the contact methods available on our Contact page and we will get your questions answered.

231-498-2158