Home watch · Destin to 30A
Someone local keeping an eye on your place while you're gone.
I check on second homes from Destin to Inlet Beach on a set schedule, and you get dated photos after every visit. If something's off, I call you that day.
What home watch is, and what it isn't
A home on the Gulf that sits empty for weeks takes a beating. A breaker trips and the A/C quits in August. A supply line under the sink starts to weep. A July thunderstorm pushes water under a slider. None of it is a big deal if somebody catches it in a few days. All of it is a big deal if nobody does for two months.
That's the job: I walk through your house on a regular schedule, inside and out, and look for the small things before they turn into insurance claims. I'm not a property manager and I don't run rentals. I work for you, and your house is the only thing I'm watching for when I'm there.
What I check on every visit
Same list every time, in the same order, so nothing gets skipped. Your walkthrough is where we add anything specific to your house.
Inside
- Walk every room, closet and bathroom
- Ceilings, walls and floors for water stains
- Under every sink, around toilets and the water heater
- Run each faucet and flush toilets so traps don't dry out
- Fridge and freezer temps, ice maker, disposal
- Signs of pests: droppings, ants, roaches, termite wings
- Windows and sliders locked, nothing disturbed
Systems
- A/C running, thermostat where you want it
- Indoor humidity reading, logged each visit
- Condensate line and drain pan
- Breaker panel, reset anything tripped
- Security system and Wi-Fi online, so your cameras and smart thermostat keep working
- Smoke detector chirps and dead bulbs
Outside
- Walk the perimeter: roofline, siding, gutters, screens
- Doors, gates and garage secured
- Pool and spa equipment running, water level
- Irrigation on schedule, no broken heads or leaks
- Fallen limbs, washouts, anything left on the porch
- Mail, packages and door hangers picked up
You'll see every visit
After each check you get a short report by text or email: dated photos of every room and anything worth noting, the humidity reading, and a plain-English line on what I found. Most weeks that line is "all good."
When it isn't, I call you before I leave the house, and we decide together what to do. I don't send a repair person to your home without your OK.
Those dated photos also give you a running record of the house's condition. That's useful to have if you ever need to file an insurance claim.
Sample report
- Home
- Seagrove Beach
- Visit
- Tue, Aug 12 · 10:40 am
- Indoor
- 74°F · 52% humidity
- Photos
- 34 attached
All good. Small drip at the outdoor shower valve, about a cup a day. Not urgent. Want me to have your plumber look at it, or leave it for your next trip?
Storms, freezes, and everything in between
Things that come up between regular visits. Plan members get first call on these.
Before a storm
Patio furniture and grills brought in, shutters closed, and a full set of dated photos taken while the house is still dry.
After a storm
As soon as the roads are open, I'm there. You get photos of the roof, windows, ceilings and yard, and a call if anything's wrong.
Hard freezes
The Panhandle gets a few every winter. Outdoor spigots and exposed pipes covered, irrigation off, faucets left dripping where they need to be.
Before you arrive
A/C set to cool the house down, lights on, fridge checked, and the golf cart charged. You walk in and it's ready.
After you leave
Thermostat back to away settings, trash out, doors and windows locked, nothing left running.
Contractors and deliveries
I let in your HVAC tech, cleaners or furniture delivery and lock up after. I can also start your car and swap A/C filters.
Estate care
For larger homes, and for owners who'd rather not manage a house from out of state. On the Estate plan I run the house for you: the vendors, the maintenance calendar, getting it ready when you're coming down. You get one person to call for all of it.
See the Estate planVendor management
I schedule your HVAC service, pest control, pool, landscaping, window washing and pressure washing, meet each of them at the house, and check the work before they leave.
A maintenance calendar
Filters, batteries, dryer vents, the twice-a-year A/C service. Salt air is hard on everything, so the routine stuff gets done on time without you having to remember it.
Arrival, the way you like it
House cooled, beds made by your cleaner, groceries and flowers in, golf carts charged and bikes aired up. Leave me a list once and I'll keep it.
Leak protection
A smart water shutoff and leak sensors, installed by a licensed plumber I work with. If a sensor trips, the water shuts off and I'm on my way.
A yearly record of the house
Every visit, photo and repair from the year in one dated document. Useful for your insurance agent, your accountant, and eventually a buyer.
New construction
Just built? I'll keep a running punch list and walk the house with you before your builder's one-year warranty runs out.
Where I work
From the Destin bridge east along 98 and all the way down 30A.
Destin · Miramar Beach · Sandestin · Santa Rosa Beach · Dune Allen · Blue Mountain Beach · Grayton Beach · WaterColor · Seaside · Seagrove · Watersound · Alys Beach · Rosemary Beach · Inlet Beach
Up on the bay side, or just north of 98? Give me a call. If I can get there, I'll cover it.
Pricing
Starting prices for a typical home. I'll give you an exact number after the walkthrough, based on the size of the house and what it needs. Billed monthly by card or bank account, no contract, cancel anytime.
Every other week
Two full visits a month with a report each time. Good for newer homes and the cooler months.
from $200 / month
Weekly
Four or more visits a month. What I'd recommend from June through October, when heat, humidity and storms are hardest on an empty house.
from $320 / month
Estate
Weekly visits plus estate care: storm prep and after-storm checks included, vendor management, the maintenance calendar, arrival and departure visits, and the yearly home record. Priority response, any time.
from $480 / month
Single visits
Storm checks, getting the house ready for you, letting in a contractor. Available on their own or added to a plan.
$120 / visit
For real estate agents
If you work with second-home buyers or have a vacant listing on the coast, I can take a few things off your plate.
Vacant listings. I check the house before showings: A/C set, lights on, blinds open, no dead bugs on the sills, nothing left from the last showing. You get a quick note after every visit.
After closing. Buyers of a second home rarely know who to call for anything. I'll walk the house with them in the first week, set up their vendor list, and look after it once they head home.
Hi, I'm Tung
TODO_ABOUT: a few sentences in Tung's own words. How long he's lived here, which neighborhood, what he did before, and why he started looking after other people's homes.
It's just me. The person who walks through your house is the person who answers when you call, every time. I keep the number of homes I take on small so that stays true.
Questions people ask
Is this the same as property management?
No. Property managers handle rentals: bookings, guests, cleanings. Home watch is just about the condition of the house while nobody's in it. I don't book guests and I don't take a cut of anything.
How often should my house be checked?
For most homes I'd say weekly from June through October and every other week the rest of the year. A brand-new house with leak sensors and a smart thermostat can get by with less. We'll figure out what makes sense at the walkthrough.
What happens if you find a problem?
I call you from the house, send photos, and do whatever I safely can on the spot, like shutting off water or resetting a breaker. Anything beyond that, we decide together. I can call your contractor or recommend one, and I'll be there to let them in.
Does my insurance require home watch?
Some homeowner policies have rules about homes that sit empty for long stretches, and they vary a lot from one insurer to the next. Your agent is the one to ask. What I can give you is a dated record of every visit with photos, which helps if you ever need to show the house was being looked after.
Are you insured?
TODO_INSURANCE: state actual coverage here (e.g. general liability amount, bonded, background check). Only list what's true.
How much does home watch cost in Destin and on 30A?
Starting prices are listed above, from a simple every-other-week check to full estate care. The final number depends on the size of the house, how often you want visits, and extras like a pool, dock or golf carts. The walkthrough is free, and you'll have a price before you leave.
How do I pay? Is there a contract?
Plans are billed monthly by card or bank account through a secure Stripe payment link. No contract and no setup fee. If you sell the house or move down full time, just let me know.
Do you hold keys? How is that handled?
Yes. Keys and codes are labeled with a number, not your name or address, and kept locked up. If you have a smart lock, I can use a code of my own so you can see exactly when I've been in.
Let's set up a walkthrough
It's free and takes about 45 minutes. I'll look over the house with you (or on a video call if you're out of town), and you'll have a price before we're done.
- Call or text
- TODO_PHONE
- TODO_EMAIL
- Clients
- Billing and invoices