What's the business?
If you’ve lived in Paris for any length of time, you've probably suffered the misfortune of having a busted pipe or leaking boiler at home, or at least know a friend who has had one.
This becomes a much more serious problem if you’re not home when the leak occurs.
Imagine you are on holiday or just back in your home country where you might spend half the year and you get a phone call from the gardien or concierge, or even your neighbour below who is furious that their ceilings are ruined after a leak from your bathroom.
So it’s not surprising that a business has started in the capital aimed at helping people to avoid this type of property nightmare.
The website ApartCheck.com has recently launched in Paris in order to allow absent homeowners to keep tabs on their property while they’re away.
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Members of the Apartcheck team will visit clients' homes while they are away on a monthly or perhaps even weekly basis to give them peace of mind.
The service was founded by Briton Lisa Elias (below) and French business partner Lise Benamozig (second photo below), in part after an article that appeared on The Local about all the homes in the city that stand empty.
(Lisa Elias)
The service sends staff members to clients’ apartments on a monthly, bi-weekly, or weekly basis to ensure that all is well and provide clients with electronic reports including checklists and photos of each room.
In the event of a problem in a client’s home, ApartCheck will act on behalf of the homeowner and contact a professional capable of resolving the issue.
For the basic service of one check a month, clients can expect to pay €1,200 for the whole year. Those interested can sign up for the service and choose a plan on the company’s website Apartcheck.com.
(Lise Benamozig)
Where did the idea come from?
Founders Benamozig and Elias previously ran the concierge business called Savoir Faire Paris, but the pair realised there was a demand for another kind of service.
The fact Paris is so full of old apartments where the aging plumbing or electrical systems tend to break down meant there was a clear market for the service.
“There were always situations where we were called out to manage leaks, boiler problems, electricity cuts and break-ins etc,” said Elias. “I felt there was an opportunity here to provide this exact service on a larger scale for people whose homes sit empty for much of the year.”
'My French Business' is a series focussing on small businesses set up by our Members. If you would like us to focus on your business then email news.france@thelocal.com
In America companies have been doing this for ever. In states like Florida where many houses sit vacant as their owners enjoy summer in the northern cities, these so called Home Watch services are everywhere. I’m surprised this is the first (is it) of these here in France?