If you think you need to be wealthy or own a big house in order to use a Home Watch service, you’re wrong. There are plenty of reasons to protect a home you own or are in care of, including watching over an inherited house.

When someone passes away, they leave behind assets. This can include money, personal property and real estate, like a family home. If you have inherited a house and are not likely to occupy that house anytime soon, it needs to be cared for.

An inherited house that sits unoccupied becomes a lure for criminals. Break-ins, burglary and other crimes can occur without indications of a regular presence at that home. And without regular exterior maintenance, it becomes unsightly. In addition, a home requires consistent monitoring to ensure it remains habitable and that no system failures have occurred.

That’s why a Home Watch service, like Golden Rule Home Watch, is needed.

You May Not Live in the Same City

You may have inherited a house in Northern Virginia, and you live in Texas, for example. It would be almost impossible for you to check on that home on a regular basis. But a local Home Watch service could.

You Don’t Have Time for Maintenance

A home needs seasonal maintenance in order to look lived in, but you have a busy life of your own and likely your own home to attend to. As you know, lawns must be cut, leaves must be raked, and greenery must be kept trimmed. Indoors, insect infestations, spider webs, and dirt can build up. A local Home Watch service can arrange for and monitor maintenance tasks on a scheduled basis on your behalf.

Related: So You Inherited a House. Here’s What to Do Next (AARP)

You Won’t Want Break-Ins

Whether it is neighborhood kids out on a lark or professional criminals, an unauthorized person in your inherited home is bound to cause damage or create chaos. Just one broken window invites more. A regular residential Home Watch check will notify authorities if any signs of break-ins are evident, and secure your property against further assault.

You Certainly Don’t Need a Disaster

A trained Home Watch service will inspect your home using a pre-determined checklist, looking for signs of problems or potential problems. A pipe could burst, a leak could develop, an HVAC system could fail, an electrical circuit could overheat, or any number of system problems could occur, that, if left unchecked, could lead to a disaster like a flood or fire. This could destroy the home, or at the very least, lead to expensive repairs.

Let Golden Rule Home Watch Keep an Eye on Your Inherited House

You may want to hold onto your inherited house for sentimental purposes, or can see a family member moving in down the line. Or you may want to put the house on the market for rent or sale before long. In either case, taking care of the home is essential.

If you have a home in Northern Virginia and would like to learn more about Golden Rule Home Watch, please give us a call at 855-928-2424. www.GoldenRuleHomewatch.com