The Home Watch Glossary
Plain-English definitions of the terms homeowners and new home watch professionals run into most.
Home watch
A service that performs regular, documented visual inspections of unoccupied or seasonal homes, looking for obvious issues — water leaks, storm damage, mold, pests, security problems — and reporting findings to the owner. Home watch is observational: providers report conditions rather than repair them.
Home watch visit
A single scheduled inspection of a property, typically covering a 360° exterior walk, security and access checks, HVAC and humidity verification, plumbing checks, and departure tasks — documented item by item against a checklist.
Visit report
The written, usually photo-rich document a home watch provider delivers after each visit, recording the condition of the home and any issues found. For absentee owners, the report is the proof of service.
GPS verification
Recording a GPS-stamped check-in at the property during a visit, proving the provider was physically on site at the stated time. A core trust feature of modern home watch software.
Snowbird
A seasonal resident who lives in a northern home in summer and a southern home (Florida, Arizona, Texas, the Carolinas) in winter — leaving one property unoccupied for months at a time. Snowbirds are the core home watch client base.
Winter Texan
The Texas variant of a snowbird — seasonal residents who winter in the Rio Grande Valley and along the Texas Gulf Coast.
Absentee owner
A property owner who lives far from the home — often out of state or overseas — and relies entirely on reports and photos to know its condition.
Concierge services
Add-on services beyond the standard inspection visit: storm preparation, vendor coordination, package handling, grocery stocking, vehicle starts. Usually billed per task on top of the visit fee.
Key holder agreement
A document recording which keys, codes, and access credentials a home watch provider holds for a property, how they are stored, and when they must be returned.
Storm prep (hurricane prep)
The pre-storm service of securing a vacant home — shutters deployed, loose items moved, water shut off, photos taken — followed by a documented post-storm inspection.
Home watch vs. house sitting
A house sitter lives in the home while the owner is away. A home watch professional visits on a schedule, performs a documented inspection, and leaves. Home watch is an insured business service with written reports; house sitting is occupancy.
Home watch vs. home inspection
A home inspection is a one-time, licensed, technical evaluation of a home's systems, usually for a real-estate transaction. Home watch is a recurring visual check of an unoccupied home's condition. Home watch providers refer anything requiring licensed work to the appropriate professional.
E&O insurance (errors & omissions)
Professional liability coverage protecting a home watch business if a client claims a missed or negligent inspection caused a loss. Commonly carried alongside general liability and a bond.
NHWA
The National Home Watch Association — an industry body that accredits home watch businesses meeting its standards for insurance, bonding, and professional practices.
Home watch software
Specialized software that runs a home watch business end to end: recurring visit scheduling, digital checklists, GPS-verified photo reports, client and property records, contracts, and invoicing.
Starting out? Read the 10-step startup checklist or grab the free templates.