First Mate Home Watch Services

As the First Mate, I understand how hard you as the captain of your home have worked for everything that you have. I just want to be that extra set of eyes on your property while you are away so we can prevent some of the issues that inevitably happen in a vacant home, examples being mold, mildew, insect infestation, leaks or how about coming back to your Florida home to find the Air Conditioner not working. With First Mate Home Watch providing weekly home inspections we will try to mitigate the risk of any of the issues becoming a major problem. We are proactively looking for problems while a standard home sitter maybe a little more reactive to a problem they stumble upon while using your home.  

During our visual inspection if we discover a problem, we will begin collaborating with you to coordinate repairs and can oversee that the problem gets corrected. Each property is unique, and a custom inspection report is generated for your individual needs however, an example of the items we check are listed: 

 Interior of property:

• Check windows and doors for intrusion or manipulation
• Ceilings for leaks or damage
• Animal/rodent/insect infestation
• Lighting and bulbs
• Mold and Mildew
• Air Conditioning unit, controls, handler, and filter
• All Major Appliances
• Breaker Panel
• Check for bugs and animal
• Wi-Fi is still on and working properly
• Sinks and showers
• Many, many more.  Yes, we flush the toilets too.

With First Mate Home Watch you will have peace of mind knowing that your property is being monitored by a professional.

Hurricane Services

Available only to current Home Watch Clients

We only work in safe weather conditions.  If or when evacuation orders are issued we will not be able to access your home until conditions are all clear.  WE DO NOT HANG STORM SHUTTERS

Post Storm Inspection – as soon as safely possible (reports sent as soon as internet and cell service is available)

• Do an inspection of your home to determine damages and report them to you immediately
• Open shutters as per your HOA rules. Leave closed for season if allowed.
• Email or communicate and finding with photos of any major damages
• Meet with insurance company and contractors.

Some key items should be done for securing your home before you leave prior to hurricane season.

• Make sure all branches are trimmed away from the roof
• Remove dead branches/limbs from trees and bushes. Have them taken away to prevent them from clogging storm drains.
• Clean all gutters and downspouts
• Inspect windows and doors for any gaps or cracks and repair if needed to prevent leaks
• Check all self-closing shutters. We can do a trial run prior to a named storm. WE DO NOT HANG SHUTTERS.
• Pool deck drains should be cleared of any debris, all pools toys/ floats should be brought inside or stored in appropriate containers.
• Remove propane tanks from grill and store properly.

Concierge Services

First Mate Home Watch offers our Concierge Services to Treasure Coast of FL. We will get your home ready before you arrive, we can get the cars detailed and full of fuel, do the grocery shopping, bring patio furniture outside. We will also make sure that the house is set to the desired temperatures for you and your guest. If you have a friend or family member coming in to use your home let us know. We can arrange for cleaning services before and after. We can do the trivial things such as having fresh flowers on the counter when anyone arrives to making sure the big things are prepped also.

• Personal Assistant
  • general help at home
  • clean garages, closets and cabinets.
• Trash/Recycle Bins Service (bins out to curb for pick up and/or bring bins in)
• Scheduled appointment for special package pick-up (bring in packages delivered to property) outside of basic service scheduled.
• Emergency services 24/7 at an additional charge
• Administrative services: Help with bill paying, scheduling appointments, picking up medications.
• Ask if you need help and we will try to make it happen

Key Holder Services

To me, Key Holder Services is one of the most important parts of leaving Florida.

It is crucially important that someone close has a copy of your key to get in while you are away. First Mate Home Watch can provide 24/7 access to your home for anyone that may be visiting, if you need repairs done, emergency services or you just lost your keys. This service is great for investors, snowbirds, children with elderly parents, rental homeowners etc. We provide you peace of mind knowing where your keys are and how many copies are floating around. With First Mate Key Holder Services you can rest easy knowing that your keys are never going to be duplicated.

Under Construction/New Construction

We provide weekly pictures and updates sent to your email, keeping you in the loop while you are away. Our weekly updates make it easier for you to notice something not quite right during construction and you can contact your builder to discuss. We can also do video chat so you can experience your property project while your new home is being built.

Home Watch Visit Reporting