by AMANDA WINTERS

Sequim Gazette

After watching a good friend start a similar business from the ground up, Melvina Worman, of

Sequim, decided she’d start a home monitoring business for the Olympic Peninsula’s snowbirds.

The problem was, the snowbirds already had flown the coop.

“I started late last winter,” she said with a laugh.

Melvina Worman and her son Joshua Worman are ahead of the game this season with Happy Snowbird Home Service and ready to provide peace of mind for homeowners flying south for the winter.

Their home monitoring checklist includes checking alarm systems and smoke detectors, securing windows and doors, monitoring for signs of mold or pests, checking faucets and hoses for leaks and basic landscaping, among many other things.

Joshua Worman, a former journeyman union painter, said they also do basic maintenance such as light fixtures and painting.

“We feel there’s a need for this in our community and on the peninsula,” he said.

A few years ago, the Wormans went on vacation for three weeks and while they were gone the temperatures in Sequim dropped to 6 degrees. Melvina Worman said an overhead water line froze, causing massive damage including broken pipes, flooding and mold.

“This possibly could have been prevented had a home watch service been available,” she said.

Had the temperature been kept higher in that area, or had the damage been discovered earlier, the major repairs that resulted from the frozen pipe would not have been necessary, she said.

Melvina Worman, a former bookkeeper and homemaker, said as a Master Gardener she enjoys the gardening aspect of the business and helping people. The home monitoring services could be useful for vacationing families as well as snowbirds, she said.

“I am a stickler for details!” she says in a flier she designed for the business.

The business also has a website: www.happysnowbird.com.

For more information, visit the website or call Melvina Worman at 681-4415.

Reach Amanda Winters at awinters@sequimgazette.com.