Professional Home Watch Services for Ithaca & the Finger Lakes
Licensed, Bonded, and Locally Owned: Property Oversight You Can Trust by a Team of Retired Law Enforcement Professionals.
Serving Tompkins, Cortland, Onondaga and Tioga Counties
Features
Our Home Watch service goes beyond a simple “walk-through.” We provide a comprehensive visual inspection of your property’s interior and exterior to identify potential issues before they become costly disasters.
Customized Inspection Checklists:
We tailor every visit to your home’s specific needs, from HVAC monitoring to checking for signs of pest intrusion.
Immediate Incident Notification:
If an issue is discovered—such as a frozen pipe, leak, or fallen limb—we notify you immediately and can coordinate with your preferred local contractors.
Real-Time Digital Reporting:
After every visit, you receive a detailed report including photos and timestamps, giving you instant proof of your home’s condition.
Authorized Entry Supervision:
We can provide access and oversight for maintenance workers, deliveries, or contractors while you are away, ensuring only authorized personnel are on-site.
Types of Home Watch Services We Provide
Seasonal Resident (Snowbird) Care
Leaving Ithaca for the winter? We specialize in winter-ready inspections. We monitor your heating systems to prevent pipe bursts and check for heavy snow accumulation or ice damming on your roofline.
Short-Term Absence & Vacation Monitoring
Planning a getaway? We provide short-term coverage to make your home look lived-in. We handle mail collection, rotate lighting, and ensure the perimeter remains secure while you enjoy your trip.
Post-Storm Home and Property Inspections
The Finger Lakes region is known for sudden, severe weather. Following high winds or heavy snow, we perform priority checks to look for exterior damage, power outages, or perimeter breaches.
FAQ
What exactly is a "Home Watch" service?
Home Watch is a professional service that performs regular, scheduled inspections of your unoccupied home to ensure everything is secure and functioning properly. We act as your “eyes and ears” while you are away, identifying potential issues—like leaks, pest intrusion, or HVAC failure—before they become major problems.
What is included in your Home Watch inspection?
We provide a comprehensive visual inspection of your property’s interior and exterior. Because we are a team of retired law enforcement professionals, our checklists are rigorous and can be fully customized to your home’s specific needs. Common inspection points include:
- Exterior Examination: We check for visible signs of damage, forced entry, or mischief and ensure the perimeter is secure.
- Window & Door Audit: Every entry point is physically inspected to ensure it is locked and undisturbed.
- Security System Testing: We verify that your alarm and monitoring systems are active and functioning correctly.
- Interior Leak Detection: We perform a thorough check for signs of water leaks, plumbing issues, or other structural damage.
- Kitchen & Appliance Care: We check refrigerators and freezers to ensure they are running and run the dishwasher to maintain pump seals.
- Bathroom Maintenance: We flush toilets and check all faucets for leaks or stagnant water.
- Vehicle Monitoring: If requested, we can start and check vehicles left on the property to ensure battery and mechanical health.
- Customized Requests: We are happy to include other specific tasks or checks unique to your property.
Why should I hire a professional instead of asking a neighbor?
While neighbors are well-meaning, a professional Home Watch provider like Saul Investigations brings a trained, investigative eye to your property. We use customized checklists, provide documented digital reports with photos after every visit, and carry the necessary professional liability insurance that a neighbor does not have.
How often do you visit my property?
Frequency is entirely up to you and the specific needs of your home. Most clients choose weekly or bi-weekly visits, but we can also provide daily checks or one-time “storm response” inspections following severe Finger Lakes weather.
What happens if you discover a problem during an inspection?
If we find an issue—such as a frozen pipe, a fallen tree limb, or an unauthorized entry—we notify you immediately via your preferred contact method. We can then provide high-resolution photos of the damage and, if authorized, remain on-site to coordinate with your preferred local contractors or emergency services.
Do you offer services for "snowbirds" who leave for the entire winter?
Yes. We specialize in seasonal oversight for Ithaca residents who head south for the winter. Our winter inspections focus heavily on heating system functionality, pipe protection, and monitoring for roof damage caused by heavy snow or ice dams.
Why Choose Saul Investigations for Home Watch Services?
When you hire Saul Investigations, you aren’t just hiring a neighbor to check the mail; you are hiring professional security experts.
Completely Customizable Protection “Your home is unique, and your ‘Residential Security’ plan should be too. We meet with you personally to discuss your expectations and needs. You decide the frequency and depth of our checks—from simple exterior damage patrols to thorough, room-by-room interior inspections. After every visit, we provide a complete digital report so you can rest even easier knowing your property is in good hands.”
Law Enforcement Experience:
As a licensed Private Investigation and Security firm, we are trained in high-level observation. We notice the small details—like a slightly ajar window or a faint smell of gas—that others might miss.
Deeply Local:
We are a locally owned Ithaca business. We know the specific challenges of Tompkins County properties and the local law enforcement landscape.
Security-First Approach:
As retired law enforcement officers, our background in security means your home’s “vulnerability profile” is always our top priority. We don’t just check the pipes; we ensure your property remains a hard target for intruders.
Accountability & Privacy:
We are a professional service provider, not a national franchise. We do not see clients at our home address, ensuring a professional separation and complete confidentiality for your property details.
Ready to Talk?
Protect what matters most with Saul Investigations. Serving Ithaca, NY, Tompkins County, and the Finger Lakes region.