Home and Boat Watchdog earns national reaccreditation

Home and Boat Watchdog has earned accreditation from the National Home Watch Association for the sixth year.

Formed in 2009, the association establishes and maintains the highest industry standards for home watch and absentee homeowner services throughout the United States and Canada. Home watch is a visual inspection of a home or property, looking for obvious issues; it is a service that keeps an eye on things at vacation or primary homes while the property owners are not in residence.

David Koster owns Home and Boat Watchdog, a service that visits and visually inspects property and vessels to check on their well-being, and notifies the owner of their status with a detailed checklist report. If a problem does occur, homeowners and boat owners can be assured that they are notified quickly, and the company will help handle it to minimize further damage and resolve the situation.

Home and Boat Watchdog uses industry best practices as part of its commitment to clients. It serves as a primary advocate, looking out for clients' best interests with the highest level of professionalism while they are away. It offers customized services for absentee property owners depending upon their individual needs and concerns, based on trust, communication, privacy and confidentiality. The company is licensed, insured, bonded, vetted and accredited.

So many things can happen during a homeowner’s absence: break-ins, alarms, water leaks, electrical problems, insects, pests, mold, squatters, deliveries, service visits, guest stays and storm damage. Koster enjoys supporting Delaware beach-area property owners, saving them time and money, and giving them peace of mind while they are away.

After many years of watching homes for family, friends and neighbors, Koster said recent years seemed to have the highest number of problems during owners’ absences. He researched the home watch industry so he could ensure neighbors and future clients would have everything taken care of properly. As a professional businessman, Koster knows the value of proper insurance, industry membership, accreditation, association and training. This led to membership in the National Home Watch Association. NHWA members are required to have insurance and bonding for specific and specialized home watch duties, along with background checks and license verification yearly.

Koster is a licensed boat captain, which requires additional background and drug testing for the Coast Guard and Homeland Security. He has been living and boating at the beach for over 30 years. He also runs a successful photography studio. According to a study by Canon, a trained professional photographer has about five times more eye movements, paying close attention to detail, than the average person. Koster’s eyes have been trained to scan a scene, and quickly notice inconsistencies and abnormalities. He also has always had the ability to find four-leaf clovers in a patch of three-leaf clovers. This natural trait, observing differences in patterns and things out of place, is very useful in the home and boat watch business. Koster is also a former lifeguard and a current board member of his neighborhood homeowners association.

“We watch over your property with visual inspections of readily accessible areas for obvious issues, giving you peace of mind to minimize problems or damage,” said Koster. “We are your boots on the ground, and eyes and ears on the property to alleviate home/boat owner concerns to assure that things are OK and in order while we are doing your home watch or boat watch.” His tools include a moisture meter, voltmeter, humidity meter, temperature gun, circuit breaker tester, black light flashlight and camera.

Home and Boat Watchdog serves Lewes and Rehoboth Beach. For more information, call 302-278-4388, email info@HBWatchdog.com or go to HBWatchdog.com.