Questions, considered.

The Estate Co. is a premium estate care service for owners of second homes on the Mornington Peninsula. We look after homes that are not let — properties used by their owners for weekends, summers, and family time, rather than being rented to short-stay guests.

No. We do not list, market, or manage short-stay rentals. The Peninsula has many companies that will do this. We serve only owners whose homes are kept for their own use.

Watch is fortnightly attendance for homes that need reliable eyes upon them. Estate is weekly attendance with arrival and departure service, climate management, and garden and pool oversight. Custodial provides a dedicated custodian with twice-weekly attendance, full trade project management, and concierge requests. Pricing begins at $695, $1,450, and $2,950 per month respectively.

All tiers include property inspections, photo-documented reports, key holding and alarm response, mail and parcel handling, and trade coordination. Higher tiers add climate management, garden and pool oversight, arrival and departure preparation, dedicated custodian attendance, and concierge services. A full inclusion list is shared during the consultation, tailored to your property.

We add a transparent twenty percent management margin to coordinated trade work, disclosed in writing before any work begins. We do not accept undisclosed rebates from contractors. Our subcontractor agreements forbid them. There are no hidden mark-ups.

No. The Estate Co. is a single, founder-led business. We are not a franchise, do not licence the brand, and do not have a national call centre. Every enquiry is read by a person on the Peninsula.

Not at this time. Our service area is currently Portsea, Sorrento, Blairgowrie, Rye, Flinders, Red Hill, Mount Eliza, and Mount Martha. We expect to expand to other premium coastal markets in due course, but only after the Peninsula model is fully matured.

Membership is billed monthly under an annual contract. The monthly retainer covers the inclusions of the tier. Tradework coordinated on your behalf is billed separately with a transparent management margin disclosed in advance. There are no usage caps within the tier, no surge fees, and no surprise add-ons.

A one-time property onboarding fee applies to cover the initial walk-through, the preparation of the preference register, the documentation of services and contractors, and the setup of secure key holding. This fee is disclosed in the written proposal and is between $250 and $750 depending on the property.

Yes. While the tier is set annually, individual services within the tier can be paused or expanded with reasonable notice. Coordinated trade work is always optional and approved by the owner before being scheduled.

Memberships are written on an annual term. We do not offer monthly memberships. The model is built around continuity — the same custodian, the same trade partners, the same understanding of your property — which a monthly arrangement cannot reliably deliver.

Public Liability of twenty million dollars, Professional Indemnity of five million, and Property in Care, Custody and Control cover for the homes we look after. Certificates are available on request and renewed annually.

Yes. Every custodian and trade partner who attends a property under our management is police-checked and insured. Police checks are renewed every two years. We keep a current certificate on file for every person who enters your home through us.

Keys and alarm codes are held under a secure protocol in a locked, access-controlled facility. Only the assigned custodian and the founder have authorised access. Each entry is logged. Keys are not labelled with the address. Alarm codes are stored separately from keys and identifiers.

Damage caused during our attendance is the responsibility of The Estate Co. and is covered by our Property in Care, Custody and Control policy. The owner is notified immediately, photographs are taken, and the appropriate trade is engaged to remedy the damage at our cost. Owners do not claim against their own home insurance for damage we cause.

For Estate and Custodial members, a custodian is on site within forty-five minutes during business hours and within ninety minutes after hours. For Watch members, response is typically within two hours. Our team and trade network live within the Peninsula, which is the principal reason these response times are achievable.

For Estate and Custodial members, arrival preparation is included within reasonable notice. For all members, the property is kept in a state of readiness consistent with the tier, so an unannounced arrival is never a problem. We recommend a short call or message before driving down so we can have the home aired and ready by the time you arrive.

Wherever possible, yes. Continuity is a core part of the service. Estate and Custodial members are assigned a primary custodian who carries their property as their own. A second custodian is briefed for cover during leave, public holidays, or unforeseen absences.

Reports are delivered as a PDF to the owner's email after each visit, with photographs and a short written summary. Members can also access reports through a private online portal. Any matters requiring an owner's attention are flagged at the top of the report and followed up by phone if the matter is urgent.

The first visit is a founder-attended walk-through of your property, lasting around an hour. We learn how the home is used, your preferences and the household's rhythm, any current issues, and the contractors already engaged. There is no obligation and no cost. A written proposal follows within the week.