What Is Home Watch, Exactly?

If you split time between Florida and somewhere else, you’ve probably heard the term “home watch.” But what does it actually mean — and how is it different from a house sitter, a neighborhood watch program, or your alarm company? Here’s the plain-English version.

The Official Definition

The National Home Watch Association (NHWA) defines home watch as a visual inspection of a home or property, looking for obvious issues. As Accredited Members of the NHWA, that’s the standard we follow on every visit — not an occasional drive-by, but a scheduled, documented check of the property inside and out.

What a Visit Usually Includes

What Home Watch Is NOT

It’s easy to confuse home watch with a few adjacent services, so here’s the short version of how they differ:

• Not a house sitter — no one lives on-site; visits happen on a scheduled, mutually agreed cadence.
• Not a property inspector — a property inspector performs a one-time, detailed inspection at the time of sale. Home watch is ongoing monitoring while a home is unoccupied.
• Not the same as an alarm system — an alarm monitors entry and fire alerts, but not weather damage, broken pipes, mold, or a mechanical system that’s silently failed.
• Not a neighborhood watch program — neighborhood watch is passive and doesn’t engage with your property directly. Home watch is a contracted, accountable, detailed check of your home specifically.

What to Look for in a Home Watch Company