(Minnesota) — August 7th, 2024 – In a unique collaboration, five Minnesota women have banded together over the past year and a half to support each other’s small businesses and care for Minnesota homes and cabins while their owners are away.
Home watch, a relatively new business concept in Minnesota, is gaining traction despite the state’s numerous seasonal cabins and thousands of snowbirds. Home watch businesses provide visual inspections of homes or properties, looking for obvious issues. Each of these businesses is accredited by the National Home Watch Association, ensuring they are trained, insured, bonded, and background-checked. They also provide immediate digital reports to homeowners. If any issues are discovered, the home watch provider works with the homeowner to resolve them.
“Home watch is the essential last piece of the puzzle for homes, condos, and cabins,” said Laura Schuh, one of the business owners. “It can help avoid or mitigate expensive insurance claims and headaches upon return.”
There are 5 members, who are all women-owned, individual home watch small businesses. All are accredited through the National Home Watch Association and follow their standards/best practices as a base to our businesses. All are insured, bonded, background checked and have different levels of Home Watch training. Northern Nest Services, is based out of Chanhassen and covers a pretty wide geography: Maple Grove to Waconia to Apple Valley to St. Paul. Snowy Owl is based out of St. Louis Park and covers St Louis Park, Hopkins, and Minneapolis. Snowbird Home Watch is based out of North Oaks and covers the general North East metro. SureLook covers the Annandale Lakes area, Clearwater, the Briggs Chain of Lakes, Becker, Big Lake, and Monticello. TLC Home Watch is based out of Alexandria and covers the nearby areas. The National Home Watch Association has been instrumental in providing training and information on the industry for these entrepreneurs.
In 2015, there were 44,000 snowbirds in Minnesota, and that number has likely grown. The rise of remote work is allowing more people to work from different locations and follow warm weather. Additionally, there is an increase in the popularity of homes being used as investment properties for rentals, with two-thirds of wealthy Americans owning second or third homes.
“By entrusting your home to a professional home watch service, you gain peace of mind, knowing that your property is in expert hands, and that any emerging issues will be identified and addressed promptly, minimizing the risk of extensive damage and ensuring a smooth return to a well-cared-for home,” Schuh added.
For more information, please visit their joint website.
