Home Watch questions, answered.
Thirty answers for Sarasota and Lakewood Ranch owners, from what a Home Watch visit includes to hurricane season in a closed home.
Not here? Call The Reserve at 941-203-9411
Home Watch visits
What is Home Watch?
Home Watch is the visual inspection of a home or property while the owner is away, looking for obvious issues. The Reserve Property Watch & Concierge provides Home Watch for owners in Sarasota and Lakewood Ranch, and each visit is documented in a report through HomeWatchIT.
Who does the Home Watch visits?
Kelly Fox, the owner of The Reserve, who brings more than 20 years of property and condominium management to every home she checks.
Is Home Watch the same as a home inspection?
No. A home inspection is a detailed evaluation of a home’s systems and structure, usually done once, before a sale. Home Watch is a regular visual check while you’re away, looking for obvious issues such as a leak, a failing water heater or an A/C that has stopped cooling.
Do I need Home Watch if a neighbor already checks on my home?
A neighbor can spot a package on the doorstep. The Reserve is insured, bonded and NHWA Accredited, follows the same checks on every visit, documents each one in a report, and coordinates trusted local vendors when something needs attention.
Does my homeowners insurance care whether someone checks my home?
Many homeowners and condo unit-owner policies include conditions for homes left vacant or unoccupied, and some insurers expect regular checks. Read your policy or ask your agent what yours requires. A report after each visit gives you a dated record that your home was checked. This is general information, not insurance advice.
Can I tell Kelly what to watch for in my home?
Yes. Every visit covers the water heater, the cabinets under your sinks and the A/C, and Kelly adds anything you know your home needs watched.
Condos and associations
What are a condominium’s governing documents?
The declaration of condominium, the bylaws and the association’s rules and regulations. Together they set what the association maintains and insures and what each owner is responsible for. In Florida, condominiums are governed by Chapter 718 of the Florida Statutes.
Can Kelly speak with my association’s management or board for me?
Yes. If an issue comes up, your Home Watch service includes one phone call or a 15-minute meeting with management or the board each year, so you have a local advocate who already knows your governing documents.
Will Kelly follow my community’s rules?
Yes. Kelly spent years as an on-site condominium community manager enforcing governing documents, so she works within your community’s rules on access, vendors and common areas, and works alongside your on-site manager.
Is the governing documents review legal advice?
No. Kelly reviews your declaration so you understand where the association’s responsibility ends and yours begins, based on her years in condominium management. For a legal question about your rights or a dispute, talk to a Florida attorney.
What if I can’t find my condo documents?
Your association or its management company can provide the declaration, bylaws and rules. Kelly can help you request them before the first visit.
Does The Reserve look after townhomes and single-family homes too?
Yes. Much of The Reserve’s work is with condominium owners, but Kelly also looks after townhomes and homes, including in Lakewood Ranch communities such as Miramar, a golf course community of condos and townhomes.
Concierge and seasonal services
What concierge services does The Reserve offer?
Help with the errands and details of a seasonal home: refrigerator clean-outs, arrival and departure services, letting in vendors and deliveries, mail and package forwarding, and vehicle and golf cart care.
What happens on departure day?
Kelly walks through your home with you before you leave, so she knows how you want it left and what to watch for while you’re away.
Can Kelly get my home ready before I arrive?
Yes. Arrival services prepare your home before you return, so it’s ready when you walk in. Tell Kelly your arrival date and what you’d like done.
What are keyholder services?
Kelly holds a key to your home and lets in vendors, deliveries or the association when access is needed, so you don’t have to fly back or ask a neighbor.
Can The Reserve forward my mail and packages?
Yes. Mail and packages are collected and forwarded to you, so nothing piles up at the door while you’re away.
Can I book a concierge service without Home Watch?
Yes. Concierge services such as a refrigerator clean-out are available whether you’re in town or away.
Emergencies and hurricane season
When is hurricane season in Sarasota and Lakewood Ranch?
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30. Many seasonal owners are away for most of it, while their homes sit closed through the heat, humidity and storms of a Florida summer.
How should I prepare my home for hurricane season if I’ll be away?
Talk with Kelly before the season about how you want your home left, and check your association’s hurricane rules, which can cover shutters, balcony furniture and building procedures. Kelly reviews your governing documents, so she already knows what your association expects.
Does The Reserve check homes after a storm?
Yes. Once it’s safe to travel, Kelly checks your home and reports what she finds through HomeWatchIT.
How do I reach The Reserve in an emergency?
Call The Reserve at 941-203-9411. Emergency call-outs are available during business hours (Monday to Friday 8 to 6, Saturday 10 to 4) and after hours.
What does Kelly do first if she finds water in my home?
She calls you, brings in a trusted local vendor who gives The Reserve priority scheduling, and if the water involves the building or a neighbor’s unit, contacts the association. As an on-site condominium manager, she was often the first call for water leaks.
Why does humidity matter in a closed Florida home?
Florida’s summer heat and humidity don’t stop when you leave. If the A/C fails in a closed home, moisture builds and mold can start on walls, cabinets and fabrics. Every visit includes a check of the A/C, and Kelly holds a mold prevention and remediation certification from Real Manage University.
Working with The Reserve Property Watch & Concierge
How do I get started with The Reserve?
Call 941-203-9411 or request a consultation on this page. Kelly learns about your home and your season, reviews your governing documents and sets your visit schedule.
How much does Home Watch cost?
It depends on your home, how often Kelly visits and the services you choose. Kelly gives you the details at your consultation. Emergency call-outs are $75 an hour during business hours and $125 an hour after hours.
Do I need to be home for the first visit?
It helps. Kelly prefers to walk through your home with you before you leave, so she learns the property and how you want it looked after.
How does The Reserve handle my keys and alarm codes?
Kelly keeps your keys and access codes secure and uses them only for your visits and the access you approve.
Who approves repairs while I’m away?
You do. Kelly calls you with what she found and what it will take, and the work goes ahead once you approve it.
Can a family member receive the visit reports too?
Yes. HomeWatchIT reports can go to more than one person, such as a spouse or an adult child who helps manage the home.
Who’s checking on your home while you’re away?
If the answer is a neighbor or no one, talk to Kelly. 20+ years in property management, NHWA Accredited, insured and bonded.
941-203-9411