Seasonal and second-home owners who leave a house empty for weeks or months. Most clients are in gated communities in Estero, Bonita Springs, North Naples, and South Fort Myers.

I do. Verus is owner-operated. I walk the home on the first visit, I build the checklist with you, and I make the scheduled visits. I do not hand your key to a helper or a rotating crew. If I am unavailable for a scheduled visit, I tell you before the date and we decide together whether to reschedule or use a named backup you have already approved.

Weekly or biweekly, set to how long you are away and what the house needs. We choose the cadence on the walkthrough and it repeats for the season unless you change it.

The list is built around your home. Typical items include doors and windows, HVAC operation and humidity, visible leaks and odors, plumbing and appliances as applicable, signs of pests or entry, lanai and pool equipment if you have them, irrigation and obvious exterior issues, and mail or packages. Your walkthrough sets the exact list.

Every visit is GPS-verified. You get photos and notes the same day. You do not have to ask whether the visit happened.

I call you first. Then, if you want me to, I help get the right vendor through the gate and keep you copied on what happens.

You add Verus Home Watch to your community’s vendor list before the first visit. I use that listing for scheduled checks. If a repair tech needs access later, I coordinate with you first and we add them the way your community requires. I do not share gate credentials beyond what your HOA already allows.

You decide. Most owners use a lockbox or leave a key with me after the walkthrough. I store access only for your property and I do not copy keys or pass them to anyone else.

Only if you want interior visits while the system is armed. We set that up on the walkthrough so a visit does not create a false alarm.

If time and gate access allow, I make a pre-storm visit: openings secured, obvious hazards noted, photos taken so you have a record. I do not stay on site through a hurricane or drive into a closed community. As soon as the gate is open and it is safe to enter, I go back, photograph the property, and call you with what I see. If a contractor is needed, I contact you first.

Yes, when those items are on your checklist. Florida homes sit empty in humidity. Running water, watching the AC, and looking at pool equipment are normal parts of a visit when the house has those systems.

No. Home watch is a visual check for obvious issues. I do not perform a licensed inspection, climb on the roof, or do regulated trades. When a licensed pro is needed, I help you get one there.

Yes. Verus carries general liability insurance, professional liability insurance, and a bond for home watch work. Informal help from a neighbor usually carries none of that.

The National Home Watch Association sets the industry definition and a code of practice for home watch firms. Verus is an NHWA member. I follow that standard: scheduled visits, written reports, insurance, and a clear scope.

Pre-arrival prep, groceries and pantry stocking, mail and deliveries, vendor access and waiting on site, vehicle start, indoor plants, and departure lock-down. Other reasonable requests are fine.
Text, email, or call. I quote the work first. When it is done, you get photos and a note in the same reporting system as a regular visit. Recurring extras can be built into the monthly plan.

There is no published menu because a 2,000-square-foot condo and a pool home in Miromar are not the same visit.

We start with a free walkthrough. I see the house, we agree on weekly or biweekly visits, and I send a monthly rate for that plan. The rate covers the scheduled inspections and the same-day photo reports.

Concierge work (pre-arrival prep, vendor wait, groceries, vehicle start, and the like) is quoted before I do it. If you want the same extra every visit, we can fold it into the monthly plan instead of billing it one-off.

I bill monthly for the season we set up. If something changes (you come back early, you add a visit, a storm requires an extra trip), I tell you the cost first.

You will not see an invoice for work you did not approve.

Call or text 239-227-7859, email jody@verushomewatch.com, or use the form on the site. Tell me the community, when you leave, and whether there is a pool. I will set a time to walk the home.

Estero, Bonita Springs, North Naples, and South Fort Myers. Communities I already work around include Miromar Lakes, West Bay Club, Shadow Wood, Shadow Wood Preserve, Wild Blue, Grandezza, Wildcat Run, Pelican Sound, Corkscrew Shores, The Place, and Verdana Village. If your gate is nearby and not on that list, please ask.

Yes, if the house is in range and unoccupied. The visit plan is the same idea. Tell me how the property is used and we will see if it is a fit.