We learn the house before we start watching it.

We begin with the property, not a package. Tell us where the home is, how you use it, how often you are away, and what tends to become difficult when you are not here.

We will explain what we can handle ourselves, what belongs with a qualified trade, and whether the property is a good fit for our service area and capacity. If you prefer to have a confidentiality agreement — an NDA — in place before sharing an address or other sensitive details, we are happy to do that first.

Before regular service begins, we walk the accessible areas of the property with you. We learn the normal settings and routines you want us to know, where ordinary problems tend to show up, which vendors already work on the home, and which areas are or are not part of a routine visit.

This is also when we talk through the practical details: deliveries, cleaners, seasonal items, snow access, pets or wildlife concerns, shutoffs you want us aware of, and the people you want contacted if something needs professional attention.

We create a working record so each visit builds on the last one instead of becoming an isolated checklist. It can include baseline photos, seasonal routines, vendor contacts, owner preferences, visit history, and documentation of completed work.

Sensitive access information is kept separately. Alarm codes, gate codes, and other security details do not belong in the same client-facing record as reports and photos.

We agree on how we enter the property, who is authorized to do so, and what you want us to do if you cannot be reached. Access is limited to the two of us, and visits are logged.

If the home has a smart lock, a separate service code you can revoke is usually preferable to sharing your personal code. We do not create hidden spare-key arrangements.

We also establish the line between “call me first” and anything you have specifically pre-approved for an emergency. Outside that plan, you remain the decision-maker.

We make visits at the frequency we have agreed on and look for visible changes in the accessible areas included in your plan. We are comparing the house to what we already know about it, not treating every visit as if we have never been there before.

After the visit, you receive clear photos and a written summary. If everything appears normal, we say so. If something needs attention, we make that obvious and explain what we can actually see.

Bears and other wildlife are part of life in Tahoe. We watch for visible signs of wildlife activity just as we do for weather, water, access, and other changes that can occur while a home is empty.

Unless we are acting under an emergency plan you already approved, it is your call what happens next.

If the solution is a straightforward non-trade task — move something, make a dump run, meet a delivery, clear ordinary yard debris, provide access — we can often handle it ourselves.

If the situation requires a plumber, electrician, roofer, HVAC technician, arborist, or another specialist, we help coordinate the appropriate provider, arrange authorized access, and keep you informed. The vendor bills you directly.

If work is completed or a requested task is finished, we can return, photograph the result, and add it to the property history. That gives you a record of what happened, when it happened, and what the house looked like afterward.

The value compounds over time: fewer mystery texts, fewer forgotten vendor details, and less starting over every time something comes up.