Question 1

What is Home Watch?

Accepted Answer

Home Watch is a visual inspection of a home or property looking for obvious issues. Home Watch is a critical look at readily accessible exterior and interior areas of your home, looking for situations that attract home burglars and for obvious issues effecting structural and home system issues. Home Watch is burglary deterrence. Home Watch identifies and reconfigures any condition, situation, or circumstance that suggest a home is an easy target for burglars.
Whether you’re a daily commuter going to work for the day, going on a short vacation or leaving for a season, or require that contractors have supervised access to your home, or require the verification of work done by contractors, or require another concierge service, HomeWatch of Westfield can provide key holder services and other concierge services. A HomeWatch of Westfield inspection of a home done while the home owner is away brings peace of mind.

Question 2

What is HomeWatch of Westfield?

Accepted Answer

HomeWatch of Westfield is not a security company. We do not install alarms or surveillance cameras. HomeWatch of Westfield is a locally owned and operated, retired New Jersey State Trooper owned business that affords its home owner clients, who are away from home for any length of time, peace of mind by carrying out extensive visual inspections of homes looking for obvious exterior security and interior home systems issues. To provide the most comprehensive and effective Home Watch services possible, HomeWatch of Westfield adheres to best practices recommended by the National Home Watch Association and employs the same security measures and situational awareness techniques recommended by federal government and state government homeland security agencies.

Question 3

What is Burglary Deterrence?

Accepted Answer

Burglary deterrence is those techniques and tactics that suggest you the home owner client is at home, is actively engaged in the security of your home, and that your home is an unattractive, difficult target for burglars. Burglary deterrence measures are tailored specifically for your home, your lifestyle, and your needs. All techniques and methods regarding burglary deterrence are home and home owner’s lifestyle specific. HomeWatch of Westfield never employs a typical home security technique. All burglary deterrence techniques and tactics are confidential and not for public announcement on this website.

Question 4

When are Home Watch Inspections done?

Accepted Answer

HomeWatch of Westfield generally conducts inspections weekdays during business hours, however, weekday inspections can be done anytime from sunrise to sunset.  Upon request, Home Watch inspections can be done during times of school drop-offs or school dismissal times, or other notable times.  Weekend Home Watch inspections, and concierge and special service requests usually require pre-booking.

Question 5

I have surveillance cameras, why do I need HomeWatch of Westfield to watch my home while I’m away?

Accepted Answer

Surveillance cameras are great aids to police investigators who are investigating the burglary of a home. On many occasions surveillance camera video provides police with descriptions and identifiers of bad actors. Cameras however, are not burglary deterrence, they simply document bad actors who believe a home is an easy target for burglary. Because bad actors are caught on video, they are within arms length of a home owner’s doors and windows. When bad actors are recorded on surveillance camera video some situation beyond the camera led these actors to believe that their choice of burglary target was an easy target. HomeWatch of Westfield’s burglary deterrence techniques and tactics presents a home as being occupied, the home owners as being security-engaged, and the home as an unattractive and difficult burglary target. HomeWatch of Westfield’s burglary deterrence keeps bad actors away from a home.

Question 6

Do you guarantee that my home will not be burglarized?

Accepted Answer

NO! HomeWatch of Westfield cannot guarantee that your home will not be burglarized either while you’re away while you and your family are at home. To mitigate the possibility of burglary, we take all reasonable measures already in use by structures and facilities deemed to be critical infrastructure and high-value targets and apply them to your home’s exterior security and presentation.

Question 7

Do you work with realtors and other service oriented businesses?

Accepted Answer

Yes, we work with realtors responsible for temporarily vacant homes in ownership transition status. We also work with the families of recently deceased home owners and families of persons transitioning from independent living to seniors housing and care. We offer home watch services for temporarily vacant homes when families and relatives who cannot effectively watch and care for a home.

Question 8

Are you a house sitter service?

Accepted Answer

HomeWatch of Westfield is not a house sitter service. Our core service includes periodic visits to your home where we follow a specific routine and a mutually agreed upon checklist.
As agreed upon, we are in and around your home on a daily, weekly, or bi-weekly basis.  We take great pride in making sure your home is in the same condition as when you departed.

Question 9

An alarm company provides security for my home. What value do you add?

Accepted Answer

An alarm company usually only monitors entry of your home.  The problem with alarm systems is that they are activated when bad actors are at your doors and windows.  An alarm company only notifies police and the home owner, the company does not actually do an eyes-on inspection of your home and property that seeks out those situations and circumstances that lead bad actors to believe that a home is an easy target for burglary.
The value of HomeWatch of Westfield is that we identify and correct those situations and circumstances suggesting vulnerability before bad actors can be close enough to your home to activate an alarm system.

Question 10

Our neighbors have formed a neighborhood watch group. Doesn't a neighborhood watch group provide the same services as HomeWatch of Westfield?

Accepted Answer

Most neighborhood watch groups are passive by nature and do not provide the level of engagement with your property that HomeWatch of Westfield provides. Most participants keep a neighborhood lookout when convenient or not too busy.  The hope of most participants in a watch group is that a neighbor participant is actually watching their neighbor’s home.  HomeWatch of Westfield will inspect your home’s exterior in far more detail than you can expect from a no-cost neighborhood watch program.  HomeWatch of Westfield also looks at your neighbor’s home and and property for situations that put your home at risk.  No cost has a cost.

Question 11

If HomeWatch of Westfield finds a problem what type of notification will I receive?

Accepted Answer

HomeWatch of Westfield will send you a report upon completion of our visit to your home. Any problems identified will be accompanied by detailed explanation(s) of the problems and photographs – if necessary.

If we take immediate action to contain damage and prevent further damage, we will immediately contact you to discuss what has occurred and to discuss what course of action is needed for remediation.

Question 12

Is HomeWatch of Westfield a property inspector?

Accepted Answer

HomeWatch of Westfield is not defined as a property inspector. Property inspectors are usually involved at the sale of a property to do a detailed inspection of the structure, plumbing, electrical and HVAC systems.

Question 13

Can HomeWatch of Westfield help me with home maintenance services?

Accepted Answer

While HomeWatch of Westfield’s does not usually provide home maintenance services, we can refer you to locally-known contractors or vendors and can coordinate contractors or vendors’ access to your home and property.

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