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SNOWBIRDS

fieroman

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We are new to this.NY to Florida for winter months.Need some advice on what to do with NY home before leaving, such as thermostat setting, etc.
 

WVBaker

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You provide so little information that no one could give you any good tips.

I think you just gave the first good tip.
 

goaliedave

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fyi all snowbirds, those of us who head south for 5 or 6 months and want our own car, check out Cars To Florida. I've used them 7 years since I retired. If you are not young enough to drive it down and back, much more convenient and cheaper than shipping it by train.

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goaliedave

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wish you could edit posts... wanted to add they go from anywhere to anywhere ie east from Canada or NY to Florida, west from Canada to Las Vegas / AZ/ CA / Texas.

I drove one last spring from Boca Raton to Winnipeg even.

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moonstone

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
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The Beach Club at St. Augustine Beach, FL (1 floating week, purchased in 1982)

77,000 RCI points (Sunrise Ridge Resort, TN)
Congrats on joining the snowbird club! We have been snowbirds (from north of Toronto) for the past 4 winters, but we winter in Belize because DH says Florida (where we own a condo) is not hot enough for him. For us staying in Belize is cheaper (aside from getting there) than Florida. Our FL condo is rented out full time which more than covers the mortgage and taxes. We rent a 1 bedroom apartment in Belize.

We have a wonderful friend/neighbour who looks in on our house whenever we go away now that DD has moved out into her own place. Our home insurance policy states that we must have a responsible person thoroughly check the inside of the house every 48 hours or if there is a problem coverage will be denied. Our friend comes right inside every day, checks the interior temperature (furnace is set to 16C/61F), checks to make sure the fridge & freezer are still running and checks the basement for leaks or other problems. He also shovels the snow off our walkways to the doors and clears the snow off the 1 vehicle left in our driveway (others are put into covered storage). We have a local man with a tractor snow blow the driveway after each significant snowfall. We do not turn the water supply off in case DD or one of our other kids stops in and needs to use the bathroom. We do shut off the water heater. Our DD picks up our mail and sorts it into important or junk and anything she thinks is important she video chats with us and shows us the letter. All our bills are on auto-pay and I can do all my elderly father's bill payments online (he doesn't trust auto-pay!).

It will seem like a lot of work to get ready to leave but once you are sitting in the warm sunshine listening to reports of snow at home it will all be very worthwhile!


~Diane
 

AnnaS

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You can forward your mail or have a neighbor mail it to you once a week or so. Also pick up any flyers that are thrown in front of the house if any.

Have someone check on the house a few times a week. My in-law's burner broke down once. Luckily we went every other day.

Have lights on timers.

Pay bills on-line or prepay some.

Have cameras installed/The Ring/maybe an alarm.

Give a neighbor and/or family member key to your house.
 

EZ-ED

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We are new to this.NY to Florida for winter months.Need some advice on what to do with NY home before leaving, such as thermostat setting, etc.

Forward mail to your new location or have a friend/relative pick it up every couple of days and then forward to you. Contact any magazine subscriptions and put in change of address
Shut off water at main.
Drain water lines.
set heat to 50 degrees or so.
set water heater to vacation.
stop paper.
If you have house plants farm them out.
prepay or auto pay utility bills.
notify local police of your extended travel.
Either have a snow removal service (drive/walkway or have a neighbor back a vehicle into driveway to leave tire tracks that makes it look like home is occupied.
set timers on lamps to turn on/off to make home look occupied.
Notify credit card company, banks or where you will be using cards or writing checks.
Have a neighbor watch for door hangers/flyers and remove them.
Lawn service to pick up leaves.

Some of the things we do when we head south.
 

vacationhopeful

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Get a security system installed on your home. I might check out "Ring" due to their commercial showing picture & voice interaction (or just viewing) letting you 'decide' next step.

Yes, you could give a neighbor parking rights but be selective as their family members or the other neighbors might be "Chatty Cathys".
 

goaliedave

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Send me your timeshare contract and $3,000; I have a buyer before you return home, guaranteed.

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elaine

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HGVC Eagles Nest, DVC-AKV, HHI
we installed nest programmable thermostats to monitor/set from our phones. We had a furnace that went out in Jan. thankfully neighbor happened to be checking on house and temp only got to 40s inside.
 
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