Snowbird home watch for Cape Coral and Southwest Florida
For most of the year, your Florida house is a set of keys in a drawer up north. Trident's snowbird home watch checks it on a schedule while you're gone and sends a written report after every visit, with photos, humidity readings and thermal images, so you know what the house is doing instead of guessing.
Or call 239-356-6600. We'll call or text back within one business day.
- 4.9 on Google from 254 reviews
- NHWA Accredited
- InterNACHI Certified Professional Inspector
- $1M/$2M insured, $20K bonded
- Watching Southwest Florida homes since 2010
What an empty Florida house does all summer
A house in Michigan or Minnesota spends the winter fighting the cold. A house in Cape Coral spends the summer fighting heat, humidity and storms, with nobody inside to notice when something starts to go wrong. Most problems begin small and quiet, and they grow for as long as no one is looking.
Humidity creeps up
An AC that short-cycles or a clogged condensate line lets indoor humidity climb, and mold can start on damp surfaces within 24 to 48 hours. We take a reading on every visit and want the house between 45 and 55 percent.
On your report: the number, every timeWater finds a way
A supply line under a sink or a tired water heater can leak for weeks before a stain appears. Our infrared camera picks up wet drywall and failing AC coils before you could see them.
On your report: thermal imagesHurricane season overlaps your time away
Hurricane season runs June 1 through November 30, nearly every month most owners spend up north. Ordinary summer storms knock out power and lift shingles too.
On your report: drone roof photosPests and pools don't wait
Ants, roaches and rodents move into quiet houses. A pool can turn in days when a pump trips or a chlorinator runs dry, and it costs far more to recover than to catch.
On your report: photos of the pool and lanaiAn empty house shows
Packages on the step and a car that never moves tell the street nobody is home. We drive unmarked vehicles with no door magnets, and we can receive and hold your packages.
On your report: nothing to show, which is the pointYour insurer may be watching too
Many homeowner policies have vacancy or unoccupancy clauses. Read yours. A dated, photographed record of regular checks is the kind of thing an adjuster asks to see.
On your report: a time stamp on every visitYour year, with Trident watching the house
Seasonal home watch follows your calendar, not ours. Here is how a typical year goes for an owner who winters in Cape Coral and summers somewhere cooler.
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Spring
Before you head north
We meet you at the house, learn the shut-offs, the alarm and your instructions, and take a key. We'll go through closing up your Florida home for the summer: water, AC, fridge, shutters. Our Seasonal Owners Guide has the full checklist.
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Summer
While you're away
Visits on your schedule, one to four a month. After each one you get a written, time-stamped report. If something is wrong you hear from us right away, and with your approval we line up the repair and let the vendor in.
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June to November
Hurricane season
Shutters up before a storm, a check as soon as it's safe after, and aerial roof photos you can hand straight to your insurer. See Storm Services.
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Fall
Before you come back
Tell us your arrival date. We can set the AC back to living temperatures, run the water, and meet deliveries so the house is ready when you walk in.
Built for owners who live somewhere else
Most of our snowbird home watch clients spend part of the year more than a thousand miles away. The service is set up so distance doesn't matter: you read the reports, we handle what's in them.
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You don't have to be in Florida to sign up
Setup happens by phone and email. We need one walk-through and a key, and we'll work out the easiest way to get both if you've already left.
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Reports go to both of you
We send every report to each email address you give us, and keep your billing address up north separate from the Florida service address.
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Someone local when the alarm goes off
Our keyholder service puts us on your alarm registration as the local contact, 24/7, for alarms, leaks and outages.
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Repairs without the flight
With your approval we schedule vendors, let them in, and send photos when the work is done. Concierge Services covers deliveries and errands too.
Where Cape Coral's out-of-state homeowners live
More than 9,500 Cape Coral homes belong to people whose permanent address is in another state. If you're one of them, you have plenty of company, and most of it comes from the same ten states.
Counts are owners of Cape Coral single-family homes, individuals and family trusts, with a mailing address in another U.S. state. Companies, condos and owners living in Canada or elsewhere outside the U.S. are not included. Based on public Lee County property data, 2026.
What seasonal owners add to their plan
Start with snowbird home watch, then add what your property needs. Everything lands in the same report.
Home Watch
Scheduled visits inside and out, with a written report after every one.
Condo Watch
AC drains, water heaters, balconies and leaks between units.
Storm Services
Shutters, post-storm checks, tarping and drone roof photos.
Keyholder Services
Your local 24/7 contact for alarms, leaks and outages.
Package Receiving
We collect and hold deliveries so nothing sits on the step.
Concierge Services
Vendor visits, repairs and errands, with photos when done.
Boat Watch
Boat, lift and dock checked on the same visit as the house.
Handyman Services
Small repairs taken care of before you get back.
Simple monthly plans, no long-term contract
Every snowbird home watch plan includes a written, time-stamped report after each visit. Add boat watch, keyholder, storm or concierge services to any plan.
Gold
- Two home checks a month
- Written report after every visit
- Mail scanning
Platinum
- Four home checks a month
- Written report after every visit
- Mail scanning
- Package receipts
What owners say when they're away
"After Ian hit while we were on vacation, their team not only informed us promptly but also installed our shutters and put an emergency tarp on our roof. Coming back to a home that was protected was such a relief."
Martin D. · Lehigh Acres
"Their reports after each visit, coupled with their responsive team, make us feel like we're there even when we're miles away."
Amelia G. · Cape Coral
"I've worked with a few home watch services, but Ryan Gartrell stands out. Their attention to detail and consistent communication gave me total peace of mind when I was away."
Jessica R. · Cape Coral
Snowbird home watch questions
Do I need to be in Florida to start snowbird home watch?
No. Most of the setup happens by phone and email. We need one walk-through of the house and a key, and if you have already gone north we will work out the easiest way to get both.
How often should someone check my Florida house while I am away?
It depends on how long the house sits empty, what is in it, and what your insurance policy says. Many homeowner policies have vacancy or unoccupancy language, and some insurers expect regular inspections, so read yours first. Our plans run from one to four visits a month, and we will recommend a schedule on the walk-through.
What should I set the AC to when I close up my Florida home for the summer?
The humidity matters more than the number on the thermostat. The goal is indoor humidity between 45 and 55 percent all summer. On the walk-through we look at your system and suggest settings, and every report shows whether the house is holding that range.
What happens to my home during hurricane season if I am up north?
If you have Storm Services, we install shutters before a storm and check the house as soon as it is safe afterward. You get a report with photos and drone images of the roof that you can send to your insurer, and with your approval we arrange tarping and repairs.
I live in Canada. Can you watch my Southwest Florida home?
Yes. Where you live the rest of the year does not change the service. Reports arrive by email after every visit, and our local number and 24/7 emergency line work the same from Ontario as from Ohio.
Can both of us get the reports?
Yes. We send every report to each email address you give us, and we keep your billing address up north separate from the Florida service address.
Do you watch condos as well as houses?
Yes. Condo Watch is built around the problems condos have: AC drain lines, water heaters, balconies, and leaks that travel between units.
Is home watch the same as a home inspection?
No. Our team is led by an InterNACHI Certified Professional Inspector and uses inspection tools such as infrared cameras, but home watch is ongoing monitoring of a home while it is empty. We do not perform home inspections.
Is there a long-term contract?
No. Snowbird home watch plans are month to month.
Put the house on the schedule before you head north
A free quote takes two minutes. Tell us about the home and when you're leaving, and we'll call within one business day with a price.
Not ready yet? Read the free Seasonal Owners Guide. Licensed in Cape Coral (002934-2023) and Lee County (1084799).