What Home Watch Services Do and How They Work in South Carolina

Home watch services monitor your property while you're away, checking for damage, security issues, and maintenance problems

Home watch is a service where someone visits your house on a regular schedule—usually weekly or monthly—to inspect it, report what they find, and handle small tasks you've arranged in advance. The person who visits (called a home watch professional or property caretaker) walks through your home, checks for leaks or broken pipes, looks at doors and windows, tests that systems are working, and takes photos or videos to send you. If you've asked them to, they might water plants, collect mail, move your car, or turn lights on and off to make the house look occupied.

In South Carolina, home watch is most common for people who own second homes, spend winters elsewhere, travel for work, or leave for extended periods. The service costs money—typically $50 to $150 per visit depending on how large your home is and how often you want visits—but it can catch problems early, deter break-ins, and give you peace of mind when you're not there.

Key Takeaways

• Home watch professionals visit your property on a schedule you set, inspect it for damage or problems, and report back to you with photos or video.
• Services typically include checking for leaks, securing doors and windows, testing utilities, and collecting mail, with add-ons like plant watering or light management available.
• Cost ranges from $50 to $150 per visit in South Carolina, depending on home size and visit frequency, with discounts often available for weekly or monthly contracts.
• Home watch companies should carry liability insurance and background-checked staff, since they will have access to your keys and home.
• You control what the service does—you decide the visit schedule, which tasks they perform, and what they report back to you.

What happens during a typical home watch visit

A home watch professional arrives at your house on the scheduled day, unlocks the door using a key you've given them, and walks through every room. They check the foundation and exterior for cracks or damage, look at the roof from the ground, test that doors and windows lock properly, and inspect the kitchen and bathrooms for leaks under sinks or around toilets. They turn on faucets to make sure water runs, check that the HVAC system is working, and look for signs of pests or mold.

They take photos or video of anything they find—a water stain on the ceiling, a cracked window, a door that won't close—and send it to you within a day or two. If you've asked them to, they'll water indoor plants, bring in the trash cans from the curb, collect mail and packages from the porch, or park and move your car to keep it from sitting unused. Some home watch services will also check that your security system is armed, test your sump pump, or inspect your pool or hot tub if you have one.

How to find and hire a home watch service in South Carolina

Start by searching online for "home watch near [your city]" or asking your real estate agent, property manager, or homeowners insurance company for referrals. Many home watch companies operate locally—they may serve only one county or a few neighborhoods—so you'll want someone close enough to visit on your schedule. Call or email at least three companies and ask for their rates, what's included in a standard visit, whether they carry liability insurance, and whether their staff are background-checked.

Ask for references from other homeowners they work for, and check online reviews on Google or the Better Business Bureau. Once you've chosen a company, you'll sign a contract that spells out the visit schedule, what tasks they'll perform, how much it costs, and how they'll report to you. You'll give them a key (or the code to a lockbox) and a list of emergency contacts—your phone number, your insurance agent, a trusted neighbor, and a plumber or electrician you want called if something serious happens.

Some home watch companies are independent—one or two people running the business—while others are franchises or part of larger property management companies. Franchises like Home Watch Checklist or Homewatch CareGivers operate in multiple states, but local independent services often have more flexibility and may know your neighborhood better.

What to include in your home watch instructions

Before your first visit, write down exactly what you want the service to do. Include the visit schedule (weekly, every two weeks, monthly), which rooms to check, what specific problems to look for, and what tasks to perform. Tell them whether to water plants and how often, whether to bring in mail and packages, whether to move your car, and whether to turn lights on and off. List any systems that need special attention—a pool, a well, a generator, a wine cooler—and explain how to check them.

Provide emergency contact information: your phone number and email, your spouse's or adult child's contact information, your homeowners insurance agent, your mortgage company, and the phone numbers of a plumber, electrician, and roofer you trust. Tell them what to do if they find a serious problem—a burst pipe, a break-in, a tree down on the roof—and whether they should call you first or call a contractor and then tell you. Give them the codes or passwords they need to disarm your security system, unlock a lockbox, or access your garage, and keep that information separate from the key itself.

Cost and contract terms

Home watch visits in South Carolina typically cost $50 to $150 per visit, depending on how large your home is, how far the service has to travel, and what tasks you're asking them to do. A small condo checked once a month might cost $50 to $75 per visit, while a large house checked weekly could run $120 to $150. Most companies offer discounts if you commit to a weekly or monthly schedule for several months or a year.

Contracts usually run for a minimum of three months, though some services will do one-time visits if you're only away for a few weeks. You'll pay either per visit or a flat monthly fee. Ask whether the price includes photos and a written report, or whether that costs extra. Some services charge a setup fee to meet you, get your keys, and write down your instructions. Ask about cancellation—if you come home early or decide you don't need the service, can you cancel without penalty?

Insurance and security considerations

Before you hire a home watch service, confirm that they carry liability insurance. This protects you if the professional accidentally damages something in your home or if someone gets hurt during a visit. Ask to see a copy of their insurance certificate, and make sure the coverage amount is at least $1 million. Also ask whether their staff are bonded—bonding is insurance that covers theft or dishonesty, which matters since they'll have access to your keys and your home.

Ask whether the company does background checks on their employees and how thorough those checks are. Some services run criminal background checks and verify employment history; others do less. Don't give a home watch professional access to safes, jewelry boxes, or other valuables, and don't leave large amounts of cash in the house. Keep your valuables in a safe deposit box at your bank instead. If you have a security system, make sure the home watch company knows the code to disarm it, but change the code before and after they have access to it.

Alternatives and add-on services

If you don't want to hire a dedicated home watch service, you can ask a trusted neighbor, friend, or family member to check on your house. This is free, but it relies on someone else's schedule and willingness, and they may not know what to look for or how to handle an emergency. Some property management companies offer home watch as part of a larger package if you rent out your home or own a vacation property.

Some home watch services also offer add-ons like seasonal maintenance (winterizing pipes, cleaning gutters), yard work, or coordinating repairs if they find a problem. Others can arrange for a locksmith to change your locks if you lose a key, or for a security company to install a camera so you can watch your home remotely. Ask what's available and what it costs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to be out of town to use home watch?

No. Some homeowners use home watch while they're traveling for work, but others use it while they're home but dealing with an illness, injury, or medical treatment that keeps them from doing routine checks themselves. You can use the service whenever you want someone to monitor your property.

What if the home watch person finds something seriously wrong, like a burst pipe?

That's why you give them emergency contact information and instructions ahead of time. Most home watch companies will call you first, then call a contractor if you tell them to. Some will call a contractor immediately if the damage is severe and you can't be reached. Make sure your instructions are clear about what counts as an emergency and who to call.

Can I watch my home remotely instead of hiring someone to visit?

You can install security cameras and smart home devices that let you check on your house from your phone, but cameras don't catch everything—they won't detect a slow leak under a sink or a problem with your HVAC system. Many homeowners use both: cameras for daily monitoring and a home watch service for monthly in-person inspections.

How often should I have my home watched?

That depends on how long you're away and how old your home is. If you're gone for two weeks, monthly visits might be enough. If you're away for months or your house is older with aging systems, weekly or every-two-weeks visits catch problems faster. Ask the home watch company what they recommend based on your situation.

What if I don't trust giving someone a key to my house?

Some home watch services use keyless entry—you install a lockbox with a code, or a smart lock they can access remotely, so they don't hold a physical key. You can change the code or access permissions anytime. This is more secure than giving out keys, though it requires you to have compatible locks or a lockbox installed first.