Why 2HS
Most owners already have something: a neighbor with a key, a camera on the porch, a cleaner between visits, maybe a property manager. Each one is useful. None of them is responsible for the whole house.
What you have, and what it misses
| What it does well | What it misses | What 2HS adds | |
|---|---|---|---|
| A neighbor | Notices the obvious: a downed limb, a door left open. Calls you if something looks wrong. | Doesn't go inside on a schedule, doesn't check systems, and isn't accountable if something is missed. | A scheduled, checklist-driven visit with a written record, done by someone whose job it is. |
| Cameras | Show you what happened outside and who came by. | Can't see a leak under a sink, a damp crawlspace, or a failing water heater. Show you the problem after it's a problem. | Eyes on the inside and the mechanicals, monthly, before a camera would ever show a symptom. |
| A cleaner | Makes the house ready for you or your guests. May mention something they notice. | Isn't scoped, trained, or paid to inspect anything. Reporting is a courtesy, not a deliverable. | A defined inspection scope and a report every time, with a steward who can act on what's found. |
| A property manager | Runs a rental: bookings, turnovers, guest issues. | Built around tenants and revenue, not an owner-occupied home. Condition reporting is rarely part of it. | A service designed for owners who use the house themselves, with the property record and condition history a rental manager doesn't keep. |
| A home-watch service | Periodic walk-throughs, often with a brief report. | Typically stops at documentation. Who fixes it, and who confirms it was fixed, is still on you. | Evidence plus resolution: we recommend, coordinate, and follow up, and a licensed builder is the one looking. |
| Doing it yourself | You know the house better than anyone. | You're hours away. Problems wait for your next trip, and small ones become large ones. | A local person with your standards, visiting when you can't. |
You can keep any of these. 2HS is the layer that makes them add up to one clear picture.
Evidence plus resolution
Documenting a problem is half the job. The other half is getting it handled.
Here is what that looks like. On a monthly visit at a home in Pine Knoll Shores, the steward finds the HVAC condensate line dripping at the joint and a water stain starting on the ceiling below. The report shows both, with photos, rated as a concern to address before the next visit. The recommendation: have the line cleared and the joint resealed, and have the drywall checked once it dries. The owner approves from her phone. The steward schedules the HVAC vendor, meets them at the house, confirms the fix on the next visit, and closes the item in the property record.
That's the whole service in one action item: found, reported, recommended, coordinated, confirmed.
Local and licensed
Your steward is a North Carolina licensed general contractor who lives in Morehead City. That matters for three reasons.
- Recognition. A builder knows the difference between a cosmetic crack and a structural one, or a normal drip and a failing valve.
- Vendors. Knowing who does good work in Carteret County, and who doesn't, is worth more than any online review.
- Judgment. When a vendor says the job is done, your steward can tell whether it is.
Questions owners ask
Access
How do you get into the house? At enrollment you provide access details: keys, lockbox, garage code, or alarm code. We keep them in your property record with restricted visibility, and you can update them at any time.
Who else has access to my codes? Only your steward and, when needed for a specific job, the vendor doing that job. Vendors are given access for the appointment, not standing access.
Visits
How often do you visit, and how long does it take? Once a month on either plan. A typical visit takes 45 minutes to 90 minutes depending on the size of the house and your add-ons.
Can I request a specific date, or be there for a visit? Yes to both. Tell your steward, and we'll schedule around it.
Reports
When do I get the report? After every visit, usually the same day. It's in your account and you're notified when it's posted.
What's in it? Photos of every system on the checklist, findings rated by degree of concern, action items, and recommendations.
Can my co-owner or family see it? Yes. You choose who has access to your property record and reports.
Action items
Who decides what gets fixed? You do. We recommend and explain; nothing is scheduled without your approval, except in an emergency where you've authorized a spending limit in advance.
Who pays the vendor? You do, directly, unless we've arranged otherwise for a specific job. We don't mark up vendor work.
How do you choose vendors? Local, licensed where required, and known to us. You can also keep your own providers, and we'll coordinate with them.
Storms
What happens before, during, and after a storm? Before: storm preparation is available as an on-request service. During: we don't visit while conditions are unsafe. After: a follow-up visit and post-storm condition report as soon as access allows, with photos and a recommended next step.
What can't you promise? That a storm won't damage the house, or that we'll reach it on a particular day. Access after a storm depends on roads, bridges, and local restrictions. We check and report; you decide.
Emergencies
What counts as an emergency, and how do you find out? An active leak, a loss of power that threatens the house, a break-in, or storm damage. You reach your steward by phone. We also find issues on scheduled visits.
What can you do without calling me? Whatever you've authorized in advance. Your agreement sets an emergency spending limit; within it, we act and then tell you. Above it, we call first.
What 2HS doesn't do
No cleaning, no rental management, no licensed trade work as part of the subscription, and no security monitoring. Any of these can be coordinated through trusted local vendors.
Contracts
What's the term? Plans are month to month. There's no long-term contract.
Can I change my add-ons? Yes, with your steward. Changes take effect at the next billing cycle.
What if I need to cancel? Tell your steward. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing cycle.
Service area
Where do you work? Carteret County: Morehead City, Beaufort, Atlantic Beach, Emerald Isle, Pine Knoll Shores, Cape Carteret, and Down East. Homes farther from Morehead City may carry a travel adjustment, quoted up front.
Insurance and liability
Are you insured?
[insert the confirmed insurance statement]Second Home Solutions LLC carries general liability insurance. Details are available on request.
What 2HS is not. 2HS is not an insurer, a warranty, or a security-monitoring service. We document, report, recommend, and coordinate. We don't guarantee outcomes.
Start with a conversation
Tell us about your home and how you use it. We'll tell you whether 2HS is a fit and what enrollment looks like.
Request a consultation