Florida Snowbird Checklist

Are you wondering what to do before you head back north for the summer? Here’s a checklist of what to do before you go.

• Close your blinds
• Bring in your lanai furniture or any other things that could blow away in a storm
• Clean your kitchen thoroughly: You don’t want to attract bugs.
• Empty all trash cans in your home or you will come back to smells you may not like
• Do a Marie Kondo type purge of things you may not need. Goodwill is a great place to drop off things you may no longer use.
• Shut off your water
• Cover toilets, sinks and drains with plastic cling wrap
• Check all appliances to verify they are off so you conserve power over the long summer
• Move furniture away from your homes walls to help prevent mildew
• Open interior doors so air flow can happen
• Lock all entrances especially your garage door from the inside.
• Engage thermostats and humidity controls, try a Nest thermostat so you can operate your home’s temp from wherever you are this summer
• Turn on your alarm before you leave
• Let your condo or association you will be gone and when you will return.
• Contact the USPS and hold or forward your mail.
• If you are leaving a car in the garage, make sure you take the battery cables off to prevent the car from draining the battery over the summer.
• Drive safe!