Who can check on my house while I'm on vacation in Northern Virginia?
If you’re heading out of town this summer and wondering who can keep an eye on your home in Alexandria, Arlington, McLean and the NoVa area, you have three real options: a neighbor, a house sitter, or a professional Home Watch service.
Here’s what each one actually covers, and where each one falls short.
Ask a neighbor
Free, easy, and better than nothing. A trusted neighbor can grab your mail, put out your trash, and notice if something looks obviously wrong from the outside. For a quick weekend trip, that’s probably enough.
For a week or more in a Northern Virginia summer, it’s a different story. Your neighbor isn’t going to walk the interior after a thunderstorm, catch a slow drip under a bathroom sink, or notice that your HVAC stopped running and your house has been sitting at 90 degrees with rising humidity for three days.
Hire a house sitter
A house sitter stays in your home while you’re away, which helps with security. If you have pets or plants that need daily care, this makes a lot of sense.
The limitation is accountability. Most house sitters are found through personal referrals or apps, with no formal training in what to look for. They’ll catch the obvious. A slow leak behind a wall, an appliance cycling incorrectly, early signs of pest entry, those tend to go unnoticed.
Hire a professional Home Watch service
This is the option most Northern Virginia homeowners don’t know exists, until they come home from vacation to a problem that started on day two and went undetected for two weeks.
A Home Watch service sends a trained professional to your property for scheduled visits. They walk the full interior and exterior, follow a detailed inspection checklist, and send you a written report after every single visit. If something needs attention, you hear about it the same day, not when you pull into the driveway.
At Concierge Home, our Home Watch service in Northern Virginia covers:
- Interior and exterior inspection at every visit.
- Verify that security systems are armed.
- Checking for leaks, moisture, and water damage.
- Confirming HVAC is running and set correctly for the time of year.
- Inspecting for signs of pest entry.
- Watering houseplants and cycling appliances.
- Starting vehicles if needed.
- Email report after every visit with photos if needed.
We serve homeowners in Alexandria, Arlington, McLean, Great Falls, Falls Church, Springfield, Fairfax, Annandale, Vienna and more, and we schedule visits once or twice a week depending on how long you’re away and how much peace of mind you want.
What does a Home Watch service cost in Northern Virginia?
Our Home Watch service starts at $225 per visit for Concierge Home members and $350 per visit for non-members. Most clients schedule one to two visits per week while traveling.
When you compare that to what a missed water leak, a failed sump pump, or two weeks of uncontrolled humidity costs to fix in a Northern Virginia home, the decision tends to be straightforward.
Planning a trip this summer?
Book a free consultation before you leave or call us at 703-399-6163.
We’ll set up a schedule that works for your trip and make sure your home is in good hands while you’re away.
