Owning a vacation home or revenue property requires a significant amount of trust when you’re not in town.
Leaving a reliable neighbour or friend to keep an eye on your place may seem like a good idea. But did you know your home insurance may not cover damages sustained if you’ve been away more than 30 days or had someone who can officially prove they were there checking every 72 hours?
Tim Martin, co-owner of HomeAssure Home Watch Services in Kimberley, learned about this fine-print detail in his insurance plan a few years back.
“If your furnace fails, your house freezes up and you didn’t have anyone check on it, your insurance can be null and void. A lot of people don’t realize that,” he says.
Martin had been a seasonal homeowner in Kimberley since 2003 before becoming a full-time resident with his partner and co-owner Theresa Weerdenburg in 2016. Martin says homeowners’ peace of mind is a guiding principle behind HomeAssure, an accredited member of the National Home Watch Association.
Here’s some of the ways Homeassure can help you:
- Home watch checks inside and out – By completing an exterior and interior checklist of your home, and taking care of your “to-do list” in your absence, Martin and HomeAssure make sure you’re notified regularly, whether it’s a minor leak, a major concern, or nothing to report. “Our custom-designed app proves we were on the property,” he says. “Not only can we take pictures as we go through the 36-point checklist, the app geo-tracks us and time stamps us. Plus we take a picture of the front door every time and send you a PDF copy of the report as we leave.”
- Keeping things neat and tidy – If you worry about upkeep when you’re south for the winter or are between stays in Kimberley, HomeAssure can handle everything from mowing the lawn, cleaning your house and watering plants to doing minor repairs. They’ll even get things ready for your return, like adjusting the temperature or chemicals in your hot tub!
- Your own personal concierge – Arriving late to an empty house or need a ride home from the airport? HomeAssure will stock the fridge with groceries and cold beverages, book your ski passes or golf reservations, and more. Check-in/check-out services for VacationRentalByOwner or AirBnB operators are also among the concierge services offered.
- Emergency follow-ups available – If a major storm or alarm activation requires your immediate attention, HomeAssure can alert you quickly. They’ll inspect for damage, liaise with emergency responders and arrange for repairs if needed. And if you’ve got a vehicle sitting idle, they’ll start it periodically and move it around to make the home appear lived in.
To learn more about HomeAssure Home Watch Services, call Tim Martin at 250-908-7335, visit homeassurehomewatch.com, email homeassurehomewatch@gmail.com or visit them on Facebook.
