How to Relax and Stop Worrying About Who is Looking After Your Home and/or Pets When You Are on Holiday!

Booking an overseas holiday or a week away somewhere new is right up there when it comes to exciting things to do. But organising for someone to take care of your pets, or look after your home while you are gone…not so much! As much as your neighbours say they don’t mind collecting your mail, and bringing your bins in and out, and you have a friend who is happy to drive over and feed your cat…it just all seems like such a big ask doesn’t it?

There is nothing that’ll take the shine off your pool-side cocktails, and have you flipping in an instant from ‘mucho-relaxo’ to ‘quietly-freaking-out’ quite like wondering if your home is safe and secure whilst you are away. Home security, can be a major concern regardless of how near or far your travels take you. According to Budget Direct in 2016 alone there were 188,756 recorded instances of unlawful entry in Australia, up 3% from the previous year, suggesting we’d be right to have some concerns. Not surprisingly homes without alarms, dogs, security grilles, roller shutters and other deterrents were most easily burgled but an empty home was the ideal target for criminals. A survey of police detainees conducted in W.A by DUMA (Drug use Monitoring Australia) revealed that homes that appear most attractive to thieves are homes that:

• appears vacant or unoccupied
• do not have cars in the driveway
• have no lights on in the evening
• have no response to a knock on the door
• have rubbish bins left out
• have mail piled in the mailbox or a similar indicator that no one is home

So, in addition to having a functioning alarm system on your home, it’s also imperative to make sure that your home still looks lived in whilst you are away. Whilst some of us may be lucky enough to live near to a family member that can pop in and out of our home whilst we are away, the majority of us either don’t have that option, or would rather not bother friends and family with the extra responsibility. So what then?

It was this all-too common problem that lead Australian mum and entrepreneur Natasha Morgan to come up with an affordable solution for Aussie property and pet owners.

“When it came time for our first family holiday, I reluctantly called my mum to ask if she’d look after the house while we were away” Natasha explains.

“I felt so guilty. She lived 40 minutes away, then it hit me: I’m not the only one in Australia who has to make that call to ask mum to look after the house. We all do it, because whether you’re away for business or on holidays, everyone needs that reassurance that their home is safe and secure. And that’s how My Home Watch was born.”

Having spent 8 years in her 20’s working for a famous business tycoon and his family, and overseeing the upkeep and management of over 15 million dollars worth of property, Natasha knows exactly what it takes to provide a first class service so that you can enjoy your holiday knowing that your home and/or pets are in trusted hands.

“The business was launched due to the need for a professional service, someone who is trained, who is professional, who will come in and take care of your things for you, look after things like your mail and your gardens and your lawns and your pool, because everything still happens when you’re away – your home just doesn’t stop functioning.”

So what makes My Home Watch different from having your neighbour keeping an eye on your place when you’re away?

“Asking your neighbour to keep an eye on your home and pets can be a huge ask and more likely than not an inconvenience. Your home is your castle, so having a trained professional like our Home Watch Property Specialists to care for your home and pets mean that they are insured to be on your property, have a trained eye to look for any problems or signs of disturbance and know exactly what to do in an emergency. No longer having to experience the guilt while you’re away of asking a neighbour for a huge favour and to keep your neighbour as your friends, it’s best to call on the professionals. “

Prices start from $40 a week for property checks, and $28 for in-home pet visit service with extra services available such as watering service, welcome home preparation service and alarm response service, depending on your budget. Worried about an older relative that you usually check in on? My Home watch even have a senior service and can take over your role while you’re away!

For more information visit MyHomeWatch.com.au or follow them on Facebook.