An Unoccupied Home is a Vulnerable Home
Home watch is a professional property monitoring service designed specifically for seasonal and vacation homeowners. Whether your mountain home sits empty for months between visits or you maintain a secondary residence in the Blue Ridge Mountains, home watch means your property is being actively cared for in your absence—by someone who will call you the moment something is wrong.
At Highlands Home Watch, we care for your mountain home with professional thoroughness. our home watch reporter personally conducts regular, scheduled visits—typically weekly—to check all critical systems, check for problems, document conditions with timestamped photos, and alert you immediately to any concerns. This is not a security guard walking the perimeter; this is a thorough, systematic walkthrough of every part of your home that matters.
Why Blue Ridge Mountain Homes Need Professional Home Watch
Mountain properties face unique challenges that occupied homes don't encounter. Sitting at elevations between 3,500 and 4,100 feet in Western North Carolina and Northern Georgia, your home experiences:
- Frozen Pipes: Even short visits without heat can cause catastrophic pipe freezing. At Highlands elevation, pipes freeze faster and stay frozen longer. A burst pipe discovered weeks later means thousands in water damage and microbial growth remediation.
- Ice Damming: Mountain roofs accumulate ice damming that blocks water drainage, forcing water under shingles and into the attic. Regular visual walkthroughs can catch this before it becomes a major interior leak.
- Power Failures: Mountain storms bring power outages that kill furnaces, refrigerators, and sump pumps. Without someone monitoring, water accumulation in basements and crawlspaces can cause foundation issues and microbial growth.
- Wildlife Entry: Squirrels, raccoons, bears, and other wildlife actively seek entry to unoccupied homes during winter months. Small openings become major infestations. Regular visits catch entry points before damage spreads.
- Humidity and Microbial Growth: Mountain humidity fluctuates dramatically with season and weather. Closed, unoccupied homes develop microbial growth quickly, particularly in bathrooms, crawlspaces, and basements. Ventilation checks catch microbial growth early, before it requires costly remediation.
- Driveway and Access Issues: Snow, ice, and freeze-thaw cycles crack driveways and damage retaining walls. Access roads can become impassable. Early detection catches bigger structural problems before they develop.
Without regular monitoring, a two-week absence can turn into a four-figure repair bill. A month-long absence can cause tens of thousands in damage. Home watch catches these issues early.
What's Included in Every Home Watch Visit
Our comprehensive home watch protocol covers every system and component of your mountain home. On every visit, we check and document:
Complete Visit checklist
- HVAC System: Furnace operation, thermostat setting, filter condition, airflow in all rooms
- Plumbing: Main water shut-off valve accessibility, visible leaks under sinks and around toilets, drains flowing properly, water pressure normal
- Exterior Perimeter: All windows and doors secure and undamaged, siding condition, gutters and downspouts clear and functioning
- Roofline Walkthrough: Visible roof damage, missing or loose shingles, ice dam formation, debris accumulation, chimney condition
- All Entry Points: Doors locked (both main and secondary), deadbolts functioning, door frames intact, weatherstripping present
- Windows and Locks: All windows secure, locks functional, seals intact, no broken glass
- Pest Evidence: Signs of rodent droppings, insect damage, bird nests, wildlife entry points or damage
- Smoke & CO Detectors: All units present, batteries functional (we test and replace as needed)
- Appliance Check: Refrigerator running properly (if occupied), oven/stove functional, dishwasher sealed and dry
- Water Pressure & Flow: Adequate pressure at all fixtures, no leaks visible at shutoff valves
- Basement/Crawlspace: No water pooling, moisture levels normal, HVAC ductwork intact, sump pump (if present) operational
- Deck/Porch Condition: Structural integrity after freeze-thaw cycles, railing stability, surface damage from weather
- Generator Check: Fuel level adequate, battery terminals clean, unit ready for emergency use
- Interior Walkthrough: No signs of intrusion, water stains on ceilings or walls, odor abnormalities, furniture and fixtures intact
Photo Reports After Every Visit, You See What We See
After every visit, you receive a detailed photo report. Every finding—whether normal or concerning—is documented with a timestamped photograph and description, sent promptly via email.
This documentation serves two purposes: you have a complete visual record of your property's condition, invaluable for insurance claims, and you can track changes over time. If moisture is slowly increasing in your crawlspace, or a small roof issue is getting worse, the photo progression tells that story clearly.
Home Watch & Your Homeowners Insurance: What You Need to Know
Many insurance policies for seasonal and vacation homes now require documented property walkthroughs to maintain full coverage, particularly for homes unoccupied more than 30 days. Our home watch visits provide exactly this documentation.
If a claim ever occurs—a roof leak, water intrusion, storm damage—our timestamped photo reports and visit records strengthen your position significantly. Insurance adjusters know that professionally documented properties are less likely to have hidden pre-existing damage, and our records often help expedite claims processing and approval.
Check your homeowner's policy language. Many insurers specifically ask for or recommend professional monitoring for unoccupied or seasonal properties. We can provide documentation in formats your insurer needs.
Our Western NC & North GA Home Watch Service Areas
We provide home watch services throughout the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina and Northern Georgia. We serve the following communities: