Winter Watch

Q: "What is winter watch and do I need it for my vacation home on Cape Cod?"

A: Winter Watch, simply put, is when you hire an individual or company to routinely inspect your home or condominium throughout the winter months.

If you visit your cape home practically every weekend during the winter you may not need this service. If you live here year round, you don’t need it. However, if you close your house for the winter, it is strongly recommended that you hire a manager for winter watch.

New England winters wreak havoc on your home. Pipes freeze and burst, windows blow out, animals seek shelter, heaters stop working and the list goes on. If no one is there to monitor your home and catch these potential issues as they occur, a disaster is what you’ll find come spring.

Here is a true story about homeowners who opted not to use a winter watch service: One of their friends used the home for a late fall weekend. He turned the heat completely off when he left in order to save the owners money. Needless to say, when spring came and no one had checked their home, they were met with a soggy mush where walls had been and the furniture ruined. Because the heat was off, a pipe froze and burst causing much damage and thousands of dollars in repair.

Most of the time, when it comes to winter watch, it is better to be safe then sorry.