ST. GEORGE – For Charlene King, the time she spends with her husband is precious and not nearly as frequent as she would like it to be. Working in the oil industry, King’s husband spends approximately four days a month at home, and the rest of his time working out of state. For her, the idea of having a long list of “honey-do’s” waiting for his attention when he returns is not her idea of “spending quality time together.”
That is why VIP Home Management Services has become both a friend and source of security she has come to rely on.
A new business concept to the St. George area, VIP provides a “one-call-does-it-all” home management service for local homeowners, and home watch for those traveling or living far away from their homes.
“We really provide service to two types of clients,” VIP owner Ryan Barton said. “First, we have those who enjoy the security of someone else checking and attending to the needs of the property. And second, we have part-time residents or those living away from their Southern Utah home.”
For contracting with VIP, homeowners receive the benefit of regular, bi-weekly home checks that include a 50-point checklist. Also, they benefit from the advocacy of VIP representing its clients to subcontractors and service companies.
“When homeowners experience a broken pipe or some other kind of emergency, they tend to go straight to the phonebook, and in a sense of panic, start the three to four-day process of calling and pricing and getting quotes and estimates,” Barton said. “And then there is always the question, ‘Am I getting a fair price, or am I getting ripped off?’”
Barton said this is exactly what VIP resolves for the homeowner. “We have already done the bidding and quality assurance checks, so when our clients need service, they make one call to us and we send out the repairman that we know will do the best work at the best value,” he said. “And we back it up. Our job is to make sure our clients feel safe, represented, attended to, and that they know they have an advocate to make sure the job is done right.”
“Instead of collecting 15 business cards and double and triple-checking to make sure I get the best estimate, I just keep VIP’s phone number programmed in my cell phone,” King said.
King said she loves the routine home inspections and friendly service, but even more, she values the peace of mind that VIP provides. With a husband who works away from home, she likes knowing she has a personal 24-hour handyman and someone she knows she can always call on.
“Service to this company is not a sacrifice,” she said. “I can tell that they genuinely enjoy coming out to my home and helping me in a friendly way.”
From pool and yard upkeep to plumbing and electrical issues, “I never have to worry,” she said. “And for someone living alone like me, that is a really big deal.”
Needra Turner, an 86-year-old widow, employs VIP to check on her home every week.
“They come with their clipboard and they’re always friendly and helpful,” she said of VIP employees. “At my age, I rely on their help with keeping up the yard, and also the comfort of knowing someone will be coming by each week to make sure I’m okay and the house is okay.”
Barton said he negotiates with his subcontractors regularly to keep pricing competitive and affordable for his clients. “When someone calls and needs carpet cleaning, they know I’m sending them someone I trust and that they are getting a price that is at least 10 percent less than the market value of a service call,” he said. “That is the role I play for my clients – I am their advocate and sense of security. They know if they are working with me, I am representing their best interest and they are getting the best pricing and quality available.”
Barton said the idea for VIP Home Management came from the simple joy of serving others. “We really do enjoy helping people, and offering small services that really can and do make a homeowner’s day.”
VIP also offers services to seasonal homeowners, travelers, individuals serving church missions and residents who would simply rather have someone else managing their home maintenance issues.
“We consider our company to be St. George’s premier housesitting solution,” Barton said. “As often as every two weeks, we go into a home on our watch, flush the toilets, run through our 50-point checklist and send a report to the homeowner.”
As a home management solution, “Our job is to keep a close watch on issues such as vandalism, maintenance, weather damage, leaks, and pests so that problems do not become larger problems while homeowners are away,” Barton said. “A home is a very important asset, and if it’s is not well-kept, it loses its value very quickly. Our goal is to prevent that from ever happening.”
Resources
Website: VIP Home Management Services
Phone: 435-634-8872
Email: rbarton.vip@gmail.com
Address: 1031 South Bluff Street, St. George
A D V E R T O R I A L
Email: [email protected]
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2013, all rights reserved.
Cool. Would you like to advertise my business on your site as well? We, like any other business, could use the free publicity.