Do you leave a house or condo empty for months at a time?

If you live in Volusia and Flagler County in Florida, you could use the premier Private Home Management Company, HomeWatchValet. They would protect your property from the incredible threats of power outages, thunderstorms, hurricanes, and the tragic results such as mold, mildew, water leaks, and other problems.

But what if I don’t live in that area? What can I do?

You could stumble along and do what you have always done and just hope and pray that everything is ok when you return. You can live up North just waiting for that inevitable phone call from the neighbors saying “You’ll never believe what happened…” You can glue yourself to the TV watching the weather in Florida knowing you really haven’t prepared for even the smallest of problems. You can spend the time coming home trying to figure out what surprises you will have on arrival. Water leaks? Mold? Failed air conditioner or refrigerator?  Blown circuits from an electrical storm? Air conditioner drain clogs and overflows?

If you think this is normal when you have multiple homes, read on.


You could trust friends and neighbors to do everything

You know, those nice people that live next door, with the dog? Sure, they both work and neither one of them have a clue how to take care of an empty house, but they are nice and the price is right. Yeah, you are imposing on them, but they haven’t complained, have they? Just because they don’t really know what to look for on an empty house, you still might be ok. In your heart, you know you will be sitting up North wondering if they have even been in the house, knowing that unless there is a HUGE water leak or fire that they won’t call you. And of course, if there is a problem, you have the embarrassment. You are embarrassed because you really didn’t do anything to get the house ready and they are embarrassed that they didn’t notice anything until it was so bad that it costs you thousands of dollars to repair. All that friendly banter over the fence isn’t going to happen anymore and then next year you will need to find someone else to watch the house.

Maybe you have your own list of things to check

Many seasoned snowbirds have lots of little lists to ensure they take everything with them on the trip. Glasses, maps, medicine- you know what I mean. Some people have even gone so far as to make a list of things to do with the house. 1. Take out the garbage, 2. Lock all the doors and windows, 3. Empty the refrigerator, 4….. This is a great start. If you have that, you can easily add to it if only you had an expert to consult with about those items you know nothing about. Did you know your insurance changes when the house is empty? An expert in Home Watch would know that. Did you know ‘set it and forget it’ doesn’t work for the thermostat- unless you like mold and high electric bills? An expert would be able to explain all that.

So how can I get an expert?

You could hire a consultant, who charges $300 and hour to come to your property and make some recommendations. You would learn about how to diagnose high water and electric bills, why shutting off the water for six months may not give you the results you hope for, how your insurance changes, which, if any, circuit breakers you should shut off, and many other suggestions. It wouldn’t be a bad investment for $300-$500 since you would have the information for as long as you had two properties.

Isn’t there a cheaper way?

Now there is. You can have all the benefits of an expert’s experience and advice in a simple to use and easy to read book.

“Leaving Your Home- ALONE” is now available from Amazon.com in a hardback, the Kindle edition or you can get the eBook if you want. Mark Mehling, the author, is an expert and educator who has dedicated thousands of hours to giving you the tools you need to keep your property safe and secure from both winter and summer threats. This 220 page book is jam-packed with the experience he has gained as “Mark- the HomeWatchGuy”, the founder of HomeWatchValet and Absentae, premium private home management services that cater to affluent two-home owners. You name the topic and it is covered. Of course, all the basics are here. You have, in your hands, the tools to pro-actively get your home ready for months of vacancy. All the tools, tricks, and problem-stoppers that Mark uses in his well-respected business are crammed into this book. Electrical, Plumbing, Insurance, Home Inventory, Managing from a distance, Disaster planning- and this is just the beginning.

Leaving Your Home ALONE is also a fun read, written in an informative but light-hearted style that makes learning fun. There is plenty of room in the back to formulate your own personal checklist and the book itself is written in a checklist style so you can literally check off items as you read if they apply to your situation- or if they don’t!!


How can I get my own copy of Mark’s expert advice?

There are three choices depending on which edition fills your desire for a hassle free snowbird experience:

For the printed copy, which you can mark up to your heart’s content and ensure it is custom tailored for your specific property, go to this link to get free shipping:

Do you have a Kindle, or the Kindle reader app on your iPhone or smartphone? Then get the Kindle edition, which of course has no shipping charge, from this link:

If you prefer the eBook, which you can have on your portable computer and read and search at will, you can order that directly using the secure shopping cart here:

For an EBook:


PLUS, there is a bonus chapter

The book is filled with ideas and methods that you can use to make your time away easier and more relaxing. But for some people, it can be a bit overwhelming when they realize what should really be done. If you are one of these people, the book will pay for itself with the bonus chapter on how to find a reliable home watch service in the area of your property. Did you know there is no educational or experience requirements to start a Home Watch business? Anyone with a pen and paper can claim to be a home watch service. This is scary when you consider all the people out of work and trying to get money using creative means.

How do I find a reputable Home Watch Service?

This is the infamous $64000 question (from the old game show!!). Why? Because you are trusting your hard earned dollars, which you have smartly invested into a beautiful home, to someone for the summer or longer. You want someone with experience, who is trustworthy and reliable. But there is a long list of other concerns that you may not have considered. How about their security methods? What happens if they lose the key? Who pays for replacement and re-keying? Where does it say it in writing? How long is the contract?

What insurance does the Company carry?

If the person showing up on your doorstep doesn’t carry insurance, you are nuts to go any further. Why? The primary reason is for your own protection. If someone on you property falls and is not covered by their own insurance, you may be liable. I am not a lawyer, and this is not legal advice, but every contractor who comes into your home should have insurance to protect YOU.

What else should I know?

You will find the answers you need in the bonus chapter including

  • 5 alternatives to leaving the home
  • What single item will help prevent burglaries and should be included for free
  • What one item will show you immediately how well prepared the company is
  • Which recommendations from others you really need to use
  • And 14 other key items


For the printed copy of Leaving Your Home-ALONE::

For the Kindle Version:

For an EBook:



I personally guarantee that this book will make your time away less worrisome, giving your more relaxation and less time consumed with the closed house. If you are not completely satisfied, if you didn’t learn a single thing in the WHOLE book, just send me an email using the address in the book, and I will give you a complete refund. No hassles, no problems.