Visit scope · Observations, not inspections

Florida Home Watch Checklist: What We Check While You're Away

The practical vacant-house checklist behind Knight Group Home Watch in Pinellas County — humidity, water, HVAC, entry points, and a photo report after every stop.

This is the working visual checklist Knight Group uses on a scheduled Home Watch visit in Florida — the same list snowbirds, vacation-home owners, and vacant-property investors mean when they ask what does home watch check. It is written so you know what “checking the house while I’m away” actually includes. It is not a licensed home inspection and not a professional opinion of building condition. Findings are observations from that visit, with photos.

The value stays consistent observation, documentation, and escalation — not a hundred mini-inspections. If you want owner-specific items beyond this list, we write them into the property protocol (often on Premium Watch).

Exterior

Visible entry doors and windows
Signs of unexpected entry or damage
Packages, mail, and flyers
Visible storm or wind damage from ground level
Obvious irrigation or landscape abnormalities
Obvious pool or spa abnormalities if the property has one
Exterior HVAC unit observation
Garage door and visible garage condition from the exterior, when we can see it
Visible leaks or standing water
Fence and gate condition
HOA or city notices left at the property

Interior

Interior temperature
Humidity reading
Thermostat status and obvious HVAC failure
Accessible HVAC condensate pan or drain observation when it is in view — no mechanical service
Visible water intrusion on ceilings, walls, and floors
Under-sink areas and toilets
Water heater area
Visible pest activity
Refrigerator or freezer status if requested
Visible appliance error lights, without diagnosing the appliance
Smart leak-detector status when a device is present and visible
Water-softener, well, or septic visible alarms when those systems exist
Unusual odors
Interior doors and windows
Power status and visible breaker/panel condition without performing electrical work
Owner-specific checklist items written into the property protocol
Run faucets and flush toilets only if included in the owner’s written property protocol

Departure

Thermostat restored to the agreed setting
Client-requested water setting confirmed
Windows and doors secured
Alarm activated if applicable and authorized
Final photo and visit completed

The report

Every visit produces date, arrival and departure, location verification, checklist results, photographs, issue flags, and a short summary. If something needs work, that is a separate conversation — see Home Watch in Pinellas County and Home Watch pricing.

Closing the house before you fly north is a different job. Use the Florida snowbird departure checklist for water, HVAC, mail, and insurance steps you handle yourself.

Post-storm visits follow the same observation standard and wait until roads and access are safe. Repair follow-up is quoted separately, including storm-related handyman work when it fits our scope.

FAQ

Checklist questions

What is on a Knight Group Home Watch visit, and what stays off unless you put it in writing.

Do you run water or flush toilets every visit?

Only when that step is written into the owner’s property protocol. Default visits are visual checks plus photos, temperature, and humidity readings.

Why check humidity in a vacant Florida home?

Vacant Gulf-coast houses can hold moisture when HVAC is off or set too high. We record interior temperature and humidity so you can see drift between visits, not as a mold inspection.

Is the checklist a home inspection?

No. It is a consistent visual observation list for a scheduled Home Watch visit. Findings are observations, not a professional opinion of building condition.

Do you look for water leaks and HVAC failure?

We look for visible water on ceilings, walls, floors, under sinks, and around the water heater, and we note obvious HVAC or thermostat failure. Hidden leaks behind finishes and licensed mechanical diagnosis are outside this checklist.

Will you bring in mail, packages, and flyers?

We note mail, packages, and flyers that make a vacant house look empty. Bringing items inside can be written into your property protocol; it is not an unbounded concierge errand.

Do you inspect the garage, HVAC drain, or breaker panel?

We observe what is visible and accessible without tools: garage door condition, an accessible condensate pan or drain if we can see it, appliance error lights, and whether power is on. We do not perform electrical work, mechanical service, or licensed inspections.