BUSINESS INTERVIEW: 5 minutes with David Izzard of My Home Watch
What exactly is My Home Watch?
My Home Watch is a homewatching and pet watching service. We provide peace of mind for people knowing they've got someone who is fully insured, police checked and professional caring for their most valuable asset while they are away. We are a one-stop-shop to look after all your property needs while you are not there.
What are the services you provide when you check on a home?
We check all your locks, check for leaks or if your circuit breaker has tripped, make sure there are no burst pipes, we water people’s pot plants, their gardens all that sort of stuff.
Is it mainly people going away on holidays that use your service?
It is also people who are selling homes, absent owners that don't live in the area, that need someone to look after their properties. AirBnBs: we'll do the hosting duties, make sure the yards are maintained, get somebody to do the cleaning and linen, so we coordinate all that for them. We also offer home checks for people with elderly parents. If they are away for work, we can go and check on them and help them with their lawns, pot plants, or just have a cup of coffee and make sure they're OK.
Why should consider calling you to look after their pets rather than a boarding kennel?
People like that their pet is more comfortable being in their own home and also the added security by having their pet there. Some pets are people's kids so we look after them like they are our own and we are always sending updates, taking photos of their pet so they can see that their animal is happy and healthy.
We've also had a lot of people who'd had their friends and family look after their pets but felt they were bothering them all the time and you don't want to lose friends over that.
You also hire out cameras for people to keep an eye on their home and pets while they are away? Hire them or you can purchase them. You can be on the beach in Bali and go on the App and see live footage of your home. We can go and set them up, they are wireless, you just need to have wifi. We can also install automatic timers to have your lights come on and off at different times.
What do all these services cost?
It’s not one size fits all. We tailor a package to do whatever you need doing while you're away. Two nights is obviously different than if you are going to be away ten weeks, so we work in with each client and work out a package that's good for both of us. We also offer seniors and pensioners discounts and we are a registered provider with the NDIS.