Our area has many "Snowbirds" who go north for Spring and Summer, and south during the cold, icy, bitter winter months. We have friends from Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan who maintain two homes, so we are aware of the extensive preparation they go through to shutter their homes during their migration. Fortunately, because we live in a high rise condo, we don't need to worry about lawn maintenance or the exterior of our home. Reading various articles online and consulting with our "snowbird" friends helped us plan for home security and damage prevention.
#1 "Caretakers"
We are fortunate to have great friends who live near us who are taking on some big jobs for us. Their support made the challenges of taking a World Cruise much less daunting.
Checking our mail
Our post office will hold mail for only a month. Friends have
volunteered to check our mail every few days, for which we are
deeply grateful. We rented a large post office box so that mail
can be checked less frequently, and had all of our mail temporarily
forwarded.
Maintaining our Cars
We asked "snowbird" friends to utilize and maintain our cars,
allowing them to travel to Florida by plane rather than driving,
or paying to have their cars transported.
"Housesitting"
Although housesitting can be in the form of having someone
actually stay in your home, we are fortunate to have great
friends in our building (the same ones who are checking
our mail), who will be watching closely over our home.
A good security system or digital monitoring is always
helpful, but there is nothing like a trustworthy friend to water the
plants, adjust the temperature of the heating or air
(not all of us have a remotely controlled thermostat),
let the exterminator inside to treat our home, and check for issues
such as water leaks.
It is important to leave everything in writing for your friend or
housesitter, especially in south Florida, where if the air conditioner
quits, you could come home to seriouis mold and mildew issues.
We cannot thank our good friends enough!
#2 - Our "To Do" checklist as we leave
We made a detailed list of what we need to do right before we leave the condo the morning of the cruise. Most are actions to prevent potential water damage that might result in mold or mildew issues.
Turn off the hot water heater at the electrical panel
Turn off the main water valve for the entire condo
Prep the toilets
Empty the ice maker and turn it off
Leave the washing machine and dishwasher open
Leave all closet doors open
Empty the trash
Set the air conditioner on 77
Tilt the blinds to allow sunshine inside
These are just the basics. If you own a villa or house, the preparation will be much more extensive. Online are many great articles with advice on what to do when preparing your home for your absence, whether it is for the winter or the summer, up north or down It will be our first time for an extended vacation, but with the help of our friends, we feel prepared.
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