Emmet & Charlevoix Counties, Michigan
Home watch for empty places on Little Traverse Bay
Local, insured home watch for second homes in Petoskey, Harbor Springs, Bay Harbor, Charlevoix, Walloon Lake, and Boyne. We check your place on a schedule and send a photo report after every visit, so a freeze, leak, or break-in does not sit unnoticed until you drive up in May.
Local 231 number goes here once the tenant is on the phone.
Insured in Michigan. Background-checked operator. Photo report every visit. Keys stored securely and logged.
If you own on Little Traverse Bay, Walloon, or Lake Charlevoix and live somewhere else, the hard months are the ones you are not here. Heat fails. A pipe sweats, then splits. Ice rides a seawall in Bay Harbor. A roof dumps melt into a Walloon loft. Mail piles up on a Harbor Springs side street and the place looks empty.
Little Traverse Home Watch is a scheduled home-watch service for absentee owners in Petoskey, Harbor Springs, Bay Harbor, Charlevoix, Walloon Lake, and Boyne City. We are not a painting company, a property manager, or a live-in house sitter. We come through on a set cadence, look for problems, and tell you what we saw the same day.
We do not watch cottages in the Eastern Upper Peninsula. That is a different shore, a different winter, and a different company (Northwoods Cottage Watch). If your place is in the Les Cheneaux, Drummond Island, St. Ignace, or Sault Ste. Marie, say so on the form and we will point you there.
What we do
Complete cottage care, so you do not have to guess from downstate
Whether the place sits empty all winter or just between weekends, the work is the same: eyes on the property, a written record, and a call if something is wrong.
Routine home watch
Scheduled interior and exterior checks for leaks, pests, power or heat loss, and obvious security issues. A photo report after every visit.
Storm and freeze checks
Extra visits after heavy snow, ice, or a deep cold snap, to catch roof, water, and freeze damage while it is still small. Little Traverse Bay and the inland lakes do not fail the same night. We route for the weather you actually got.
Opening and closing
Spring opening and fall winterizing: water on or off, faucets, seasonal setup and shutdown, coordinated with how you actually use the house.
Key-holding and access
We hold a key and can meet deliveries, cleaners, and contractors so you do not drive north just to let someone in. Gated associations (Bay Harbor, Harbor Point, some Walloon and Charlevoix clubs) need your written access rules before we quote.
Contractor supervision
If you already hired a plumber, electrician, or painter, we can meet them, confirm they got in, and send you photos of the site when they leave. We do not do the trade work ourselves.
Concierge extras
Arrival prep, firewood, lawn or snow coordination, and similar tasks, quoted as add-ons after the walkthrough.
Winter up here
Winter is when empty cottages fail up here
Northern Michigan winters are long enough that a furnace that quits on a Tuesday in January can freeze pipes before Friday. Melt from a roof can back up behind an ice dam and run into a loft. Ice on Little Traverse Bay shoves seawalls and seasonal docks in Bay Harbor and along the Petoskey and Harbor Springs shores. Inland, Walloon and Lake Charlevoix freeze hard; a dark cottage on a dead-end lake road does not get a neighbor’s knock.
Empty seasonal homes are also easy to read from the road. No tracks in the snow. Mail in the box. A dark interior. That is when break-ins show up, and when mice move into the insulation. Downtown Petoskey still has year-round eyes. Harbor Point, the Bay Harbor loops, a Walloon point, and a Boyne City lake lot often do not.
We cannot stop the weather. We can be there on a schedule, and after the ugly nights, so you are not finding out in May.
How it works
How it works
- 1
Free walkthrough
We walk the property with you (in person when you are up, or by a detailed video and photo set if you are not). You get a written quote. Starting plan prices below are only starting points. Final pricing follows this walkthrough. Association gates, long drives, and water-access-only lots change the number.
- 2
We check on a schedule
Monthly, bi-weekly, or weekly, plus extra storm and freeze checks on the higher plans. We route Petoskey with Harbor Springs and Bay Harbor, and Charlevoix with Boyne and Walloon, when the weather allows. We do not invent a visit we could not make.
- 3
You get a photo report
A timestamped report with photos after every visit, sent to your email or phone. You see the thermostat, the interior, the roof line, and anything that looks off.
Who watches your cottage
Who watches your cottage
Local, insured home watch for Little Traverse Bay and the nearby inland lakes.
We are not listing a named operator on this page yet. When the on-the-ground tenant is in place, this block will carry a real name, a real town, a short bio, and a real photo. Until then, the honest line is the one above.
Reviews
Reviews coming as we complete the first season.
We will not publish placeholder names or stock quotes. If you have used the service and want to leave a real note, the quote form is the right place to say so.
Pricing
Simple starting prices
Plans scale with how often you want us there. These are starting points pending a walkthrough. Final pricing depends on the property, access (public road, gated association, long two-track), and any add-ons. No long-term contract. Cancel anytime.
Essential
from $59/mo
Monthly check
- 1 check per month
- Photo report each visit
- Leak, pest, security, and heat check
- Email or text summary
Seasonal Guardian
from $99/mo
Bi-weekly. Most owners who stay away all winter start here.
- 2 checks per month
- Priority storm and freeze checks
- Photo report each visit
- Key-holding included
- Discounted add-ons
Full Care
from $149/mo
Weekly, plus concierge coordination
- Weekly checks
- All storm and freeze checks
- Key-holding and contractor meets
- Opening and closing coordination
- Priority scheduling
Serving
Serving Little Traverse Bay and nearby lakes
Based in northern Lower Michigan. We watch second homes and cottages in Emmet and Charlevoix County towns on Little Traverse Bay, Walloon Lake, and Lake Charlevoix. Full pages for the hubs. The rest are served from those hubs.
Little Traverse Bay
Inland, south and east
West on US-31
Bay View, Wequetonsing, and Harbor Point are named on the matching town pages. Association rules apply. East Jordan and Boyne Falls are by arrangement. We do not serve the Eastern UP, Traverse City, or Elk Rapids as standard first-season routes.
If your place is behind a gate, on a private road, or in a historic cottage association, say so on the form. Access changes the schedule.
Questions
Questions we get asked
What is home watch?
A scheduled visual inspection of a vacant house or cottage. We check for leaks, storm damage, break-ins, pests, and heat or power problems, then send a photo report. It is not live-in house sitting, and it is not a substitute for winterizing.
How much does it cost?
Starting points are $59/mo for a monthly check, $99/mo for bi-weekly, and $149/mo for weekly. Add-ons are billed separately. Gated, long-drive, and association properties may price higher after the walkthrough. Request a quote.
Can I trust you with my keys?
Keys are stored securely and logged, never labeled with your street address. The on-the-ground operator is insured and background-checked. Every visit has photo proof. Ask for the insurance certificate before you hand over a key.
Do you cover Harbor Point, Bay Harbor, or Bay View?
Yes, as part of the matching town route, if you can authorize access. Harbor Point is a private association. Bay Harbor is gated loops and marina streets. Bay View is its own association with seasonal cottage rules. Tell us which one. We will not sell a weekly plan we cannot physically enter.
Will I get proof of each visit?
Yes. A timestamped photo report to your phone or email after every check.
Do you paint, manage rentals, or sit the house?
No. Little Traverse Home Watch is home watch and cottage care, not a painting contractor, not a vacation-rental manager, and not a live-in sitter. If you already have a painter, plumber, or cleaner scheduled, we can hold a key and meet them.
What if the heat is already off and the pipes are blown out?
We still check the shell: roof, snow load, broken glass, water where it should not be, pests, and whether anyone has been in the place. Closing the water does not close out storm damage or break-ins.
Is this the same company as Northwoods Cottage Watch?
No. Northwoods covers the Eastern Upper Peninsula (Les Cheneaux, Drummond Island, St. Ignace, the Soo). This brand covers Little Traverse Bay and the nearby inland lakes. Different operator, different area code, different route.
How fast do you reply?
Use the quote form, or email hello@littletraversehomewatch.com. We aim to send a written quote within a day of a complete request. Local 231 number goes here once the tenant is on the phone.
Request a quote
Get your free quote
Tell us the town, how the place is used, and whether water and heat stay on. We will send a clear written quote, usually within a day. This is the right way to reach us until a local 231 number is on the account.
hello@littletraversehomewatch.com
Local 231 number goes here once the tenant is on the phone.
Insured in Michigan. Background-checked operator. Photo report every visit. Keys stored securely and logged.