Malia Sutton, Portfolio Manager for Home Fridays, arranges a bouquet of flowers at a client's home. 

The allure of Central Oregon’s breathtaking landscapes and boundless recreational opportunities has drawn an influx of new residents to the region in recent years. While many have chosen to settle into a primary residence, others have purchased second homes that are mainly used for weekend trips or extended family vacations. These homes often remain unattended for long periods of time, leaving them susceptible to issues such as damage from severe weather and unwanted pests. This can cause a significant amount of worry for owners who cherish their homes, and attempting to self-manage important maintenance tasks can take valuable recreational time away from their visit. Out-of-area homeowners often struggle to efficiently organize and complete home improvements or repairs and find that huge chunks of their time are spent trying to coordinate these projects.

With a warm and responsive customer service style committed to the homeowner experience, Home Fridays is the perfect solution. The Bend-based company, originally established in 2005, offers world-class home watch, home management and concierge services to second homeowners who want the peace of mind that comes with knowing that their valued assets are safe, their privacy is protected and their time in Bend is discretionary.

“Our goal is to give second homeowners a peace of mind that their home is safe and well cared for while they’re away. Then when they come back, we want to be sure they can fully enjoy their home and all that Central Oregon has to offer,” said Malia Sutton, Portfolio Manager at Home Fridays. 

Utilizing the latest innovations in home watch technology, Home Fridays has the ability to monitor humidity levels, temperature, and noise disturbances in real-time. If a home is supposed to be unoccupied or only occupied by a limited number of people, abnormally high volumes may be a warning sign of intruders or unwanted gatherings. The same is true for drops or spikes in temperature and humidity inside a home, which could indicate a freeze-induced burst pipe or that the HVAC stopped working properly.

“We have these key indicators saying, ‘Hey, something is not right in this home.’ And it notifies us for immediate response, which mitigates risk and optimizes the management of a healthy home,” Sutton said. “When the weather gets to 10 degrees, it’s so important to know that your home is being closely monitored, to know that we’re looking for serious problems at the home such as ice dams or water leaks or frozen pipes.”

Another piece of technology that Home Fridays employs is Centriq, a home management app that catalogs items such as appliances and electronics and offers relevant information on how to use, fix and maintain those items. Home Fridays uses Centriq to take the burden of maintaining these items off the homeowner. The next time a furnace needs an important repair or update, for example, Home Fridays will contact the homeowner and schedule the service using direct information on the HVAC via manuals, troubleshooting guides, recall warnings and direct access to replacement parts. 

“We recently caught a water heater valve leak before it caused too much damage,” noted Katie Wahl, Home Fridays’ lead inspector.

Home Fridays offers a comprehensive list of weekly services, from house visits to waste management, that greatly reduce the stress of owning a second home. They also offer “à la carte” services that cover the entire spectrum of homeownership needs.

“We prepare the home for arrivals by adjusting the thermostat to a comfortable temperature, and can even prepare special arrangements like flowers, a celebratory bottle of wine, or making dinner reservations upon the owner’s request,” Sutton said. Tasks such as housekeeping, snow removal, and vehicle maintenance can all be arranged by Home Fridays and performed by reputable local vendors.

Transparency is one of the company’s driving ideals, according to Sutton. Home Fridays pays vendors directly, doesn’t charge vendor markups for any of its services and provides clients with itemized vendor invoices that detail the work that was done.   

Responsiveness is also a key element of the Home Fridays experience: “We take pride in our level of commitment to clients by being accessible, friendly and responsive to them,” Sutton said. “Our team is incredibly communicative with our clients, so as soon as we find something that needs attention, we’re in front of the homeowners with a report right away.” 

Home Fridays covers properties in the region between Sisters, Redmond and Sunriver. Get more information about the services they provide at homefridays.com, or call (541) 317-3088.