Home Check
A scheduled visit to observe agreed, readily accessible areas, complete defined household routines, document the visit, and report visible changes. The provider leaves after the visit.
Homeowner guide / Greater Victoria, BC
How Often Should Your Home Be Checked
While You Are Away?
The short answer: use the minimum interval and conditions confirmed by your own insurer or broker, then add visits when the home, season, or length of absence calls for more oversight.
Updated September 21, 2026 / Home checks · Insurance questions · Visit records01Start with the policy
There is no single schedule for every home
Confirm the minimum.
Build the plan from there.
The right home-check frequency begins with the exact wording of your insurance policy—not a general rule of thumb.
The required interval can depend on the insurer, policy, length and reason for the absence, time of year, and whether the residence is considered unoccupied or vacant under that policy. Ask what must be checked, how often, by whom, and what proof should be retained.
A homeowner may choose visits more often than the confirmed minimum for additional reporting, changing weather, a longer trip, plant or mail routines, contractor access, or simply a preference for more frequent local contact.
Similar language, different responsibilities
Home Check Is Not
House-Sitting Or Security.
House-sitting
An arrangement in which someone generally occupies the home for some or all of the absence. Occupancy, duties, guests, pets, and liability should be agreed separately.
Security service
Guarding, patrols, surveillance, alarm monitoring, or alarm response. Those services have a different purpose and are not included in DBC Home Check visits.
03Choosing a practical cadence
After the policy requirement is known
Consider The Home,
Season And Absence.
Think about the residence type, trip length, winter conditions, visible water concerns, mail and parcels, indoor plants, strata access, planned vendor visits, and how quickly you can make decisions from away. These factors can justify visits more often than the insurer-confirmed minimum.
04Before the first visit
Turn expectations into written instructions
Six Decisions That Make
Every Visit More Useful.
Ask your insurer first
Request the exact policy wording that applies to your absence, including the required visit interval, any winter or water-system conditions, and the evidence you should retain.
Define the accessible areas
List the exterior and interior areas to observe and note locked, unsafe, private, or otherwise restricted areas that are outside the visit scope.
Record the home’s normal
Document agreed settings, visible systems, water instructions, appliances, plant care, mail, parcels, strata procedures, and anything that may look unusual but is expected.
Choose your contacts
Name a primary contact and alternate decision-maker, along with approved trades or building contacts who may be needed while you are away.
Set authority limits
Agree on what the provider may do, when your approval is required, whether vendor access is permitted, and any spending or attendance limits.
Agree on the visit record
Decide which checkpoints, times, photographs, readings, observations, completed tasks, and follow-up questions should appear in each report.
This guide provides general planning information. Your insurer, broker, strata, alarm provider, and qualified technical or legal advisers remain the authority for their requirements.
Useful proof after every visit
A Report You Can
Use From A Distance.
A simple “everything looks fine” message gives little context. A consistent visit record helps you understand what was observed, what was completed, and whether anything needs a decision.
- Arrival and departure times
- Completed residence checkpoints
- Relevant photographs and agreed readings
- Visible changes or concerns
- Household routines completed
- Departure closure and requested follow-through
What to settle before travel
A Calm Departure
Starts With A Clear Plan.
Policy
Insurer or broker instructions, required cadence, and any special absence conditions confirmed.
Travel
Departure and return dates, time zone, itinerary changes, and preferred communication method recorded.
Access
Keys, entry codes, parking, strata instructions, and restricted areas clearly identified.
Home
Agreed settings, water plan, visible systems, appliances, plants, mail, and parcel instructions reviewed.
Contacts
Primary homeowner, alternate decision-maker, building contact, and approved vendors listed.
Follow-through
Notification order, vendor access, spending limits, report recipients, and service boundaries approved.
Documented Home Check visits in Greater Victoria
Use The Guide, Then Define Your Residence.
DBC provides owner-operated Home Check visits across Victoria, Oak Bay, Saanich, Esquimalt, and View Royal, with other Greater Victoria locations considered by arrangement.
Explore Victoria Home Check service ↗Before Someone Checks
Your House While Away.
01How often should someone check my house while I am away?+
There is no universal interval. Your own insurer or broker should confirm the minimum frequency and any other conditions that apply to your policy and absence. You can then choose more frequent visits if they suit the home or your preferences.
02Is an unoccupied home the same as a vacant home?+
Not necessarily. Everyday language often blends the terms, but an insurance policy may define them differently. Describe your exact circumstances and use the terminology and instructions supplied by your insurer or broker.
03What should a documented home-check report include?+
A useful report can record arrival and departure times, completed checkpoints, relevant photographs, agreed readings, visible changes, household tasks completed, departure closure, and any decision required from the homeowner.
04Can a neighbour check my home while I am away?+
That depends on your policy and your neighbour’s availability. Ask your insurer whether there are requirements about who performs the checks or what records must be kept, then make sure the person has clear written instructions.
05Does a home check guarantee that nothing will go wrong?+
No. A home check is a scheduled visual observation of agreed, readily accessible areas. It cannot prevent every incident or guarantee against loss, and it is not a technical inspection or security response service.
06Where does DBC provide house checks while owners are away?+
Core routes include Victoria, Oak Bay, Saanich, Esquimalt, and View Royal. Sidney, the Saanich Peninsula, Colwood, Langford, and other West Shore locations may be available by arrangement.
Victoria Home Check Planning
Turn The Guide Into Your Home-Specific Plan.
Bring your insurer’s instructions, travel dates, residence details, access plan, and preferred report format to a consultation with DBC.
Arrange a private consultation