Home watch for West Valley snowbirds
Your Arizona home, checked all summer while you're away.
And help around the house while you're here. One membership, all year, from a local owner you can call by name.
Nothing hidden. Follow every visit live in your member portal: when we're on the way, which areas we've checked, and when your report is ready.
Not ready to book? See your home's summer risk score (free, 2 minutes).
Serving Sun City West, Sun City, Surprise and Waddell
*Visit Highlights videos are included with the Concierge plan.
How it works
Watch how easy it is to join
After your free walkthrough, we send you one link. See your plan, sign, pay, book your onboarding visit and tell us about your home. No paperwork, no passwords. Prefer paper? We'll do it with you in person.
- 1
Free walkthrough
We visit your home for 30 minutes and write up a plan. No pressure.
- 2
Departure Close-Up
Before you leave, we clear out the fridge or set it the way you like, hold or forward your mail and deliveries, set the AC, water heater and blinds for summer, and take baseline photos of every room.
- 3
Regular visits
Every week or every 2 weeks, by plan. A full check and a same-day report each time, all summer long.
- 4
Winter help
We walk you in when you land, then help around the house all winter.
Total transparency
Follow every visit, live. Like a delivery tracker for your home.
From Michigan, Minnesota or anywhere, open your member portal and see each step the moment it happens. No calling to ask. No wondering if anyone came.
Included in every plan.
A $300 value each season.
See it as it happens
On the way, at your home, which of the 11 areas are done, and about when we'll finish.
Every step time-stamped
A clear record of when we arrived and when we finished, visit after visit.
Then a same-day report
What we found comes in your report, in plain words, the same day. We can send it to your family too.
Sample screens with a sample member. Finish times are estimates. A Visit Highlights video of every visit is included with the Concierge plan.
What really happens to an empty house in an Arizona summer
The AC quits at 115°
Heat builds inside fast. Cabinets warp, electronics suffer, and summer repair waits can run long.
A slow leak under a sink
A small drip, left for weeks, soaks floors and walls and can lead to mold.
Pests move in
A quiet house is an open invitation. Dry drains and gaps let critters settle in.
A monsoon storm hits
Wind lifts tiles, knocks out power, or floods the patio, and nobody is there to see it.
The problem isn't that things break. It's that nobody notices for weeks.
How exposed is your house? Answer 9 quick questions and see your score and the top things to watch this summer.
Take the 2-minute checkPicture this instead.
After every visit, a same-day report on your home lands on your phone. You know it's fine, so you stop wondering.
In November you walk in to a cool, fresh, ready house, and all winter there's someone to call for help around the house.
Spare KeyTue 10:42 a.m.Tuesday visit done. Your AC was running at 81°. Water run, toilets flushed, mail in. All clear.
View today's report
Why the usual fixes fall short
"My neighbor keeps an eye on it."
Kind, but your neighbor often leaves for the summer too, and a quick look from the driveway can't see a leak inside.
"A $50 drive-by is cheaper."
It checks a box, but you have no way to know it was really done. No photos, no video, no guarantee.
"I have cameras."
Cameras are great at the front door. They can't see under a sink, smell a problem, or feel the heat inside.
One membership. Three ways we've got you covered.
Away, we watch the house. Home, we help around it.
Protection
We find it the same day, not in October.
Inside and outside checks every week or every 2 weeks (by plan), an HOA check so you don't come home to a fine, 24/7 AC and temperature alerts, storm checks after every monsoon, water run and toilets flushed.
So you can stop checking the weather in Phoenix from 1,500 miles away.
Trust
You see exactly what we saw.
A local owner with an Arizona fingerprint clearance card. A same-day report after every visit. Keys coded, never labeled with your address. Concierge members* also get a Visit Highlights video of every visit.
So you never have to wonder if anyone really came.
Convenience
Pay for summer, winter's on us.
An arrival walkthrough when you land, help hours and priority same-day help while you're home, and a closing visit before you leave.
So one call covers the whole year.
Concierge plan
Watch every visit.*
Your 45-minute visit, in one video of about 10 minutes. We film each area on a bodycam as we check it, and you get one Visit Highlights video with your report: every area, every check, none of the walking between rooms. Anything we flag is marked, so you can jump straight to it.
Don't take our word for it. Watch it.
*Included with the Concierge plan. Only you and the people you add can see your videos. Your video arrives with your report or within 24 hours, and stays in your portal for 30 days. Download any you want to keep.
What's in your video
One chapter for each stop on our route through your home, so you can skip straight to the part you care about.
- 1Outside
- 2Entry and thermostat
- 3Kitchen and laundry
- 4Bathrooms
- 5Every room
- 6Garage and vehicles
- 7Lock-up
About 10 minutes. Anything we flag is marked in the video and in your report.
Our toolkit
Most home watchers bring a clipboard. We bring a toolkit.
A quick look can miss what's behind a wall. These are the tools we use to find problems early, while they're still small and cheap to fix.
Thermal imaging camera
Sees hidden heat and moisture behind walls and ceilings. Finds a leak before it leaves a stain.
Every plan
Moisture meter
Tests drywall, baseboards and cabinet floors. Tells us whether "looks dry" really is dry.
Every plan
Infrared thermometer
Compares the air coming out of your AC with the air going in. Catches a struggling AC before it quits in July.
Every plan
24/7 temperature and humidity sensors
If your house gets too hot or too humid, we get a text that minute, even between visits.
Full Care and Concierge
Water leak sensors
At the water heater, washer and sinks. An alert the moment water hits the floor.
Concierge
Zoom camera for the roof
Close-up photos of roof tiles and flashing from the ground, every visit and after every storm.
Every plan
Outlet tester and inspection light
We test the outlets with reset buttons, and use a bright light and mirror to look under and behind appliances.
Every plan
GPS check-in and check-out
Every visit is logged with the time and location, so your report proves exactly when we were there.
Every plan
Bodycam highlights*
Every area filmed as we check it, condensed into one short video, with any problem marked.
Concierge*
We're home watchers, not licensed home inspectors or contractors. Our tools help us spot problems early so the right pro can fix them. *Visit Highlights videos are included with the Concierge plan.
Our damage playbook
No guesswork. If something goes wrong, we already have a plan.
Every watcher follows the same written playbook for leaks, AC failures, storm damage and break-ins. We stop the damage, prove it with photos and readings, call you, and get the right licensed pro in.
Emergency
Call now
Water on the floor, a gas smell, smoke, a break-in, or your AC off with the house at 90°F or hotter.
We call you before we leave your home. Help comes the same day.
Urgent
Within 2 hours
A slow drip, an AC that's struggling (88°F inside), a roof tile missing before monsoon, a fridge that's failing.
We call or text within 2 hours. A pro comes within 1 to 3 days, with your OK.
Routine
In today's report
Worn caulk, a dripping outdoor faucet, a sticky door, a cracked tile.
It's in your same-day report. You decide if and when to fix it.
Watching
Every visit
A hairline crack, a faint stain, a moisture reading that's a little high.
We measure and photograph it every visit. If it gets worse, you hear from us.
- Nothing over your emergency limit without your yes, and a text is all it takes
- Vendors bill you directly. No markups, and we never take a fee from any vendor we recommend
- Proof for your insurance claim: dated photos, readings and a timeline
Everything in Full Care
Our most popular plan. Here's what one membership covers for the whole year.
Want a lighter plan, or the Visit Highlights video? See Essential and Concierge on the plans page.
Compare all three plansWhile you're away (May–Oct)
While you're home (Nov–Apr)
What these would cost if you bought them separately. Numbers in small type match the sources at the bottom of this page.
$2,994 / year
$1,426 more value than you pay. That's $499 per away month, and winter's on us.
Our missed-visit guarantee
If we miss a scheduled visit or send a late report, that month is free. No forms, no arguing.
We cap how many homes we watch
So every visit gets done right, we open summer spots in small releases. When a release is full, new homes go on a waitlist until we can add them to the route.
Summer 2027 · First release
25 spots left
Hold a spot with a free walkthroughFounding Concierge members: 10% off
Our first 10 Concierge members get 10% off for life in exchange for an honest review and two introductions to neighbors.
10 spots left
Claim a founding spotSee exactly what you'll get after every visit
Every visit covers the same 11 areas, inside and out, and you get the results the same day.
Every report is dated and time-stamped, so it's good to keep for your insurance records.
See a full sample report
Our promises to you
Local owners in Surprise, AZ
- The same watcher every visit
- A same-day report after every visit
- We call you within 2 hours on anything urgent
- Nothing over your limit without your yes
- We never take a fee from any vendor we recommend
Hi, we're Nestor and Mariah.
We live right here in Surprise. We started Spare Key because a house you love deserves a neighbor who actually shows up, and a report that proves it.
Nestor holds an Arizona DPS fingerprint clearance card. When you call, you get one of us, and the same watcher checks your home every visit.
See how we handle problemsGood questions
Isn't $50 a visit cheaper?
Per visit, yes. But Full Care covers 13 visits (every 2 weeks), same-day photo reports, AC alerts, storm checks and a guarantee, and your winter months come free.
Is getting started a hassle?
No. One 30-minute walkthrough at your home, and we handle the rest.
I need to talk to my spouse or kids first.
Of course. Invite them to the walkthrough, and we can send every report to them too.
Do you do repairs?
No. We stop the damage on the spot (water, power or sprinklers off), call you right away and get a licensed pro in, yours first. See our damage playbook.
Can I just decide in the spring?
You can, but spots are capped and fill before May. The walkthrough is free and doesn't commit you to anything.
I'm only gone 4 months. Do I pay less?
Same price, more winter. We check your home every visit while you're gone, and your help hours run every month you're here. On Full Care that's 3 hours a month for 8 months: 24 hours instead of 18. Memberships are for homes empty 4 months or more.
Another question? Call or text (773) 677-6952.
Not ready to book?
What's your home's summer risk?
Answer 9 quick questions and see your score and the top things to watch while you're away. Free, about 2 minutes.
Snowbird season fills up before May.
Book your free walkthrough now, and your home is on our route before you leave.
How we figured the values
Each value is what a comparable service costs on its own, from public prices. Your price is what you actually pay.
- Comprehensive home watch visits (appliances, plumbing, AC) run about $65 to $100 or more per visit. We value ours at $75 (written report), $100 (photo report) and $125 (photo report plus video). The Sure Home
- Storm inspections are commonly billed at half the normal visit rate. Arizona summers usually bring several monsoon storms; we assume about 3 extra visits a season. Home Watch of Arizona
- A thermal imaging inspection costs about $400 on average ($200 to $500 typical). HomeAdvisor
- Professional home monitoring usually costs $15 to $40 a month; we use $25. ConsumerAffairs
- Monitoring with video verification costs about $45 to $65 a month (ADT) or $50 to $75 (Vivint); we value the member portal at $50 a month. SuretyHome
- A seasonal shutdown and reopening is listed locally as a $200 value. Arizona House Watch
- In-home help is valued at $75 an hour, the low end of what local help costs (handyman rates run $50 to $150 an hour; $75 to $125 at larger companies). Housecall Pro Time-based items use that rate: car start about 15 minutes ($20), guest prep about 2 hours, Home Health Summary about 2 hours, ready-when-you-land arrival about 3 hours. Members buy extra hours at $50.
- Smart leak sensors cost about $25 to $60 each, plus $4 to $15 a month for monitoring; we count 3 sensors and $10 a month. LatestCost
- Spare Key's own prices and estimates: Departure Close-Up valued at about 2 hours of work at $75 an hour ($150; $149 when bought on its own). Concierge emergency visits valued at $150 each (the $125 Concierge visit value plus an after-hours premium), about 2 a season.
Values are estimates for comparison. The missed-visit guarantee and priority help aren't counted.