The business in one offer
Who it serves
Retirees who travel for several weeks at a time, seasonal residents who leave a house empty for winter, and professionals with frequent long trips. They often have no pets, or have pets boarded elsewhere, and want the house watched without a stranger staying over. Many have been told by their homeowners insurer to have someone check the property regularly.
What to sell first
A daily home check visit of about 30 minutes: full walkthrough with a checklist, mail and packages brought in, indoor plants watered, lights and blinds varied, thermostat checked, and a photo report by text or app. Excluded: overnight stays, pet care, pool service, repairs, and hosting guests or contractors.
A visit with a fixed checklist is quick to quote per day and simple to explain. Leaving out pets keeps insurance and scheduling simpler, and clustering visits by neighborhood means several houses fit into a morning route. The photo report doubles as a record if anything is later disputed.
What could it cost to start?
This is an original example budget for the limited pilot described above. It is not a researched market average or a complete quote for every location.
| Item to price | Example allowance |
|---|---|
| Liability insurance and bonding quote allowance | $600.00 |
| Coded key tags and a locked key box | $70.00 |
| Visit report and scheduling app, three months | $45.00 |
| Background check report to share with clients | $50.00 |
| Printed service cards for neighborhood groups | $80.00 |
| Business registration and bank account allowance | $150.00 |
| Example total | $995.00 |
What this assumes—and excludes
Assumes you own a car and smartphone and live near the neighborhoods you serve. Excludes office space, commercial auto coverage if your insurer requires it, owner pay, and any local license or permit fees. Bonding and insurance prices vary widely, so get local quotes before setting your prices.
Collect actual supplier, insurance and local-authority information. Add a reserve for delays and unexpected costs; the example total is not a funding recommendation.
How the unit economics work
At an assumed $35.00 per visit and $5.00 in direct costs, contribution is $30.00 before monthly fixed costs, owner pay and taxes. With 0.9 all-in working hours per unit, that is $33.33 per delivery hour before those deductions. These inputs illustrate the arithmetic; they do not establish a market price or expected earnings.
The example also allows $70.00 in monthly fixed costs. Include unpaid acquisition and administrative time when deciding whether the offer is worthwhile.
Try your own numbers
These are editable planning assumptions, not prices we have verified. Calculations stay in your browser.
Operating result = (price − direct cost) × units − monthly fixed costs. Before owner pay, taxes, financing and startup recovery. At these inputs, delivery requires 9 hours per month, plus any work not included in your per-unit estimate. Sales volume is a scenario, not a forecast.
How to find the first customers
Test a small offer before scaling traffic. Record the source of each enquiry, whether it fits the offer, and whether the buyer pays.
- Ask a homeowners association or retiree club if you can present your checklist and sample photo report at a meeting. People who travel together often book the same weeks, which helps you plan routes.
- Introduce yourself to independent insurance agents and explain your daily visit report. Some clients ask their agent who can check an empty house, and a written report format is easy for an agent to mention.
- Offer a neighbor-rate first trip to two households you already know, with a full written agreement as if they were strangers. Use those trips to tune the checklist and your time per visit.
- Post a factual description in a neighborhood forum where business posts are allowed, listing exactly what a visit includes and what it does not. Note which forum each inquiry came from.
What to validate before spending more
- Ask an insurance agent about general liability plus a fidelity bond or similar coverage for theft claims, and confirm whether either covers damage you discover but did not cause.
- Write an emergency authorization form that lists who you call, in what order, and how much you may spend on a plumber or locksmith without approval. Have a lawyer or the agent review it.
- Do a timed practice route of three houses in one area and log driving plus visit time. If the average exceeds 55 minutes per stop, price by distance or narrow your service area.
- Check whether your city requires a general business license for a home-based service and whether the alarm companies in your area require registration for key holders.
The operational catch
Key control is easy to get wrong. Never label keys with addresses or client names. Use coded tags, keep the code list separate and locked, and return or destroy keys and alarm codes when a client leaves. One lost ring with addresses on it can cost you every client in that neighborhood.
A practical way to fund the first step
Take full payment for each trip before the owner leaves, which is normal for this service and removes collection risk. Start with a free scheduling app and paper checklists, then pay for report software once you have five regular clients who travel.
Separate cash already available from money still to earn. Count only proceeds after direct expenses, and do not spend customer funds needed to fulfill their existing orders.
Questions before you start
How often should I visit?
Daily is the default for most clients, especially in freezing or very hot weather when a failed furnace or AC causes fast damage. Some insurers set their own rules for unoccupied homes, so ask clients to check their policy and match your schedule to it.
What do I do if I find a leak?
Shut off the water at the main if safe, photograph everything, call the owner, then follow the emergency authorization you agreed on. Never start repairs yourself; your role is to notice, limit damage and call the right person.
Should I add overnight stays later?
Overnight sitting pays more per day but blocks your evenings and limits how many houses you can watch. Add it only for repeat clients you trust, and price it separately with its own house rules.
Source-backed checks
These references support the specific checks below. They do not endorse this business idea or substantiate the example prices, costs or demand.
SBA notes that business insurance helps protect a business from financial losses, and that coverage needs vary by business type and risk. U.S. Small Business Administration: Get business insurance.
SBA says many small businesses need a mix of federal, state and local licenses and permits, depending on activity and location. U.S. Small Business Administration: Apply for licenses and permits.
The IRS publishes standard mileage rates for figuring deductible costs of business use of a car. Internal Revenue Service: Standard mileage rates.
- Get business insuranceU.S. Small Business Administration · Reference checked September 8, 2026
- Apply for licenses and permitsU.S. Small Business Administration · Reference checked September 8, 2026
- Standard mileage ratesInternal Revenue Service · Reference checked September 8, 2026
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