If you live in The Villages and leave for part of the year, someone has probably told you to sign up for House Check. It is good advice. But some owners assume it covers more than it does, and they come back to a shaggy lawn or a broken sprinkler. House Check and property maintenance are two different things that do two different jobs. Here is how to tell which one you need. For many homes, the answer is both.
What this post covers:
- •What House Check does, according to the District
- •What it does not do
- •Why the yard still matters when you are gone
- •How to decide what you need
What House Check Is
House Check is part of Community Watch, run by the District. According to the District, its patrols check the outside of your home on foot three times a week when you are away for more than a week, and they observe and report maintenance and utility issues.
That is useful. It is a set of eyes on the house while you are not there. For current details, including how to sign up and any fee, go straight to the District House Check page, since those can change.
What It Is Not
The District does not list repairs or yard work as part of House Check. A patrol can see that a sprinkler head is broken or a shutter is hanging. Fixing it is a separate job, and that is still on you to arrange.
So think of it this way. House Check tells you something is wrong. Someone like Jeff is who you call to fix it. One does not replace the other.
Need help with keeping up your home in The Villages while you are away? We will call you.
Drop your info and Jeff will reach out with a free estimate.
Your Lawn Is Still Your Responsibility
This is the part that catches people. The District deed compliance page says landscaping must be kept neat and clean, including removing weeds, dead plants, grass clippings, trash and debris. Being in another state does not change that.
It also says the division is entirely complaint driven, and that concerns may be made anonymously. So if the grass gets long while you are gone, the first you hear of it may come after a neighbor reports it.
Rules differ across The Villages, so check your own deed restrictions. In the Lady Lake and Lake County portion, for example, the published standards say grass counts as overgrown once it reaches 8 inches. See our page on snowbird care in The Villages.
Which One Do You Need?
If you are gone for a week or two and your yard is covered, House Check alone may be all you need. If you are gone for the season, somebody has to take care of the work too. That means mowing, edging and weeding, hedge trimming and palm fronds, along with sprinklers that nobody is there to watch.
If your home has a repair list, the months you are gone are a good time to get it done. New paint, tile or flooring is much easier in an empty house. Here is how that works.
One note on bigger yard changes: the District says removing a tree with a trunk over four inches needs architectural approval. If your plans go beyond routine upkeep, check on approval first.
Setting It Up
Sign up for House Check through the District. Then, if you want the yard and the repairs handled, call Jeff before you go so you can walk the property together and get a free estimate. If you are already up north, call or text anyway. You choose what gets done.
Where this information comes from