keeping unoccupied home during off-season (Sarasota: rent, insurance, condo)

[Mater et magistra]

How do snowbirds keep a home during the off-season there if it is a single family residence and not a condo? We're considering purchasing a vacation home to use during the a few winter months and eventually retiring there.

I suppose start with a security system. But then would lawn upkeep cost an arm and a leg? What about prepping the house if a hurricane is on the way? What other considerations are there?

[bbronston]

There are companies here that will mind the house while you are away. I'm sure that there are a multitude of services and prices available but I would google "house minder" and "Sarasota" or whatever to see what pops up. I know many snowbirds who have developed a relationship with their year-round neighbors for them to watch the property.

There are also some companies that will put up and take down your shutters should it become necessary. Not sure how reliable they are, though.

[motordavid]

If the SFH is in gated/attended community, the odds of one's house being robbed are slim to none...in a non-gated community, all bets are off, unless one has close by/attention paying neighbors and a good house watcher.

Some HOAs allow for transparent shutters or painted to match metal panels up all 'Cane season; others do not allow.

Trusted home watcher as mentioned, is important.

Security system is last on my list of needs; by the time the cops come, the robbers are gone with your stuff. Most systems are pretty easy to defeat or default, and the alarm company calls a few numbers, but time goes by.

A good security sign outside is almost as 'preventative'.

We've been doing 2 homes for ~10 years; it isn't that difficult or stressful, imo.
GL, mD

[macrodome2]

As another poster said, you should look into a house watching service. An alarm may also be a problem if it gives false alarms. Don't know where you are thinking of buying, but some municipalities charge the homeowner if you exceed a certain number of false alarms because they have to respond.

We pay $85 month year round to get grass cut. Another $80/mo for bug and lawn spray, about $60-85/mo for electric depending on season, and $40-65 for water. Other expenses are taxes, HOA, and insurance. We're running about $1000 a month or $12K per year in a gated community. We do not have a pool, which would add additional expense for service and electric.

Only bought the house last year, but we were here for 5.5 months last year and will be here 7 months this year. Rents in our area vary by month, but high season on average is $3-4K, so around 4 months our expenses have equalled what rent would be if we rented every year. Plus we have all our own stuff and can leave it year to year. We will probably become permanent residents within the next two years. I expect when we return this Spring we'll get the northern house ready and put it on the market.

[Restrain]

If concerned and want a security system, get Simply Safe or similar wireless system, and set it up to send you alerts. You can set up cameras to watch the home as well, and watch over the Internet.

As an appraiser, I have regularly triggered alarms (well, they were supposed to be off, I told the seller to turn it off, etc). The average response time is 20-30 minutes, with some police never showing up. It is better to have the system alert you on your cell phone, where you can look at the cameras, see what is happening, and call the police. They are much more apt to respond if you can tell them you see a burglar in the home.

[Mater et magistra]

Thank you - those are all helpful suggestions.

[ahvolare]

I will be buying a condo in FL, is it necessary to also hire a service for a condo, when I am not there? Will it be ok to just close it for a few months and avoid any further charges? Have never owned a condo before, just single family homes not familiar with the process...thanks

[justNancy]

Originally Posted by Mater et magistra

How do snowbirds keep a home during the off-season there if it is a single family residence and not a condo? We're considering purchasing a vacation home to use during the a few winter months and eventually retiring there.

I suppose start with a security system. But then would lawn upkeep cost an arm and a leg? What about prepping the house if a hurricane is on the way? What other considerations are there?

There's no substitute for getting to know your neighbors, but there are home monitoring systems that allow you to turn the lights on and off, regulate the heat and a/c, etc. Still, you will need someone to mow your lawn, check for leaks, etc. There are several reliable Home Watch services in the area.

[justNancy]

Originally Posted by ahvolare

I will be buying a condo in FL, is it necessary to also hire a service for a condo, when I am not there? Will it be ok to just close it for a few months and avoid any further charges? Have never owned a condo before, just single family homes not familiar with the process...thanks

It's always a gamble when you leave a home for 3 weeks or 3 months. I know someone who was at work all day and came home to ankle deep water because of a pipe leak from the upstairs units. OTOH you might be gone for 6 months and everything will be okay. I can name just as many people who lock up and leave their homes all summer as those who hire people to check on them. It's a hit or miss. With a condo you won't need to take care of the outside maintenance, like the lawn. However, stuff happens.

Just a side note: Whether you own a house or condo, if you're planning to leave it for months at a time, I suggest you only use wood, laminate or tile flooring. Carpet will retain a lot more moisture. I like carpet (it's softer on my old feet) but it's not practical in a hot & humid climate.

[macrodome2]

If you're planning on leaving it closed with no one looking in periodically, you may have trouble getting insurance. I was asked about how long the house would be vacant, and the insurance agent was not satisfied until I brought up that we had hired a home watch service.