Who stays in your home
Jorge Vasquez, licensed New York real estate broker, or a member of his family. Not a subcontractor, not a stranger from an app, and not someone looking for a place to live: every caretaker has a home of their own to go back to.
What the caretaker does
- Lives in the house, or stays there on the schedule we agree in writing, so it looks occupied because it is: lights on at night, the trash out on the right day, someone coming and going.
- Watches what goes wrong in an empty house: heat in winter, frozen pipes, leaks, the boiler, the sump pump, storm damage.
- Takes in the mail and packages and keeps the walk and the steps clear.
- Reports to you in writing, with photos, on the schedule we agree, and calls you about anything that needs your decision.
- Lets in your contractors, your insurance adjuster or your property manager, and stays while they are there.
What it is not
It is not a security guard or patrol service. It is not a rental: the caretaker pays no rent, signs no lease, and leaves on the date in the agreement or when you end it. That is written into the caretaker agreement you sign before the first night.
Before the first night
- A written agreement: the dates, what the caretaker does, the house rules, who holds keys, and the fee. The price is quoted in writing for your home.
- A walkthrough with you, so the condition of the house on day one is on record, with photos.
- A call to your insurance carrier. Many homeowner policies limit coverage once a house sits vacant for a set period, often 30 to 60 days. Tell your carrier a caretaker is staying and ask how it treats the house.
Also for
A house listed for sale while it sits empty, an inherited house waiting on letters from Surrogate’s Court, or a building between tenants under property management.
Get a written quote for your home
House sitting covers homes in Queens and Manhattan. Tell me where the house is, the dates you will be away, and anything it needs. The first conversation is free and signs nothing.