The call came hours before guests were to arrive for an outdoor dinner party. It was an otherwise calm evening, suited to a patio gathering. But a skunk had chosen that particular moment to take up residence in the yard. Welcome to the world of a home concierge, where the routine of decorating or arranging services can be punctuated by the unexpected—in this case, coaxing an uninvited guest back to the wild. “You just manage it,” says Kristy Farmer. “There’s never a week that’s the same.” Farmer owns Central Coast Home Concierge, a company dedicated to resolving the details—large and small, routine or unique—that come with a second home or vacation rental. The service is part of a necessary and rather diverse niche. The necessity stems from the number of second homes and vacation rentals available in Monterey County. While the 2020 U.S. Census identified just over 40 percent of Carmel’s housing units as vacant, with smaller percentages—yet still in doubledigits—vacant in Pacific Grove and Monterey, Farmer can point to observational data. “Is there business out there? Oh, yeah,” she says. “You can tell by the [private] jets that come in and out.” The diversity of the home concierge role is what separates it from the more traditional concierge. While placing reservations or directing people to sights and activities are part of it, there’s a responsibility companies like Farmer’s take on. If a family is traveling to their Pebble Beach retreat for Car Week, her crew can stock the refrigerator in advance. Should the owners be away for a while, Farmer can arrange for mail pickup and garbage cans to be trotted to the curb and back. 24 The Best of Monterey Bay ® Haven 2024-2025 Upper Management Kristy Farmer says ‘there is no typical day’ in the home concierge business. By Dave Faries Kristy Farmer of Central Coast Home Concierge keeps a stock of seasonal decorations and other items on hand, ready for any occasion. Nik Blaskovich
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