New snowbird-how to keep your home/RV safe?? (Port Charlotte, North Port: mobile home, water heater)

[LYOUNG47]

My H & I will becoming snowbirds initially in Port Charlotte area. My question is, if we don't choose to be in a "gated community" ( whether MH or other ) what recommendations does anyone have to keep this place secure & vandal free the other 9 months of the year?

[double6's]

live in a good neighborhood..and don't **** off the neighbors.

[blktoptrvl]

I was a contractor, on the road for up to a year at a time.

I made sure to know my immediate neighbors very well. They are no farther than a house distance away (typical suburb), and most of them had a key to my house and all of them had my Phone number.

I removed my mailbox and got a PO Box so nobody would see a stuffed box, and that was about it. My house stayed dark for years, and nobody bothered it.

[TamRE]

Have your neighbors keep an eye on your home or hire a company like HomeWatch Services to check it periodically or have a security system like ADT.

My next door neighbors when I lived in North Port only lived in their home 3 months out of the year. They put their hurricane shutters on and I just watched the home from the outside, never went in. I also pulled their weeds. They had a lawn care company mow the lawn and weed trim. No one ever bothered the home. Currently we have a neighbor across the street from us that is only here two weeks out of the year until they retire. They have a relative in the area that comes to check it once a week.

It also depends where the home is and what type of neighborhood it is in. Most mobile home parks and deed restricted or gated communities, you can find someone to keep an eye out for you within the community. There are so many snow birds here, it isn't usually an issue.

[MikMal]

When we leave it's obvious that the house is empty of residents since we put the hurricane shutters on. Three plus years of heading north for a few months and we've never had a problem.
As said above, good neighbors are a Godsend. There are also businesses to watch your home such as Homewatch of SWFL. They'll inspect your home x2 per month (probably more if you want) both inside and out and also prep it ( turn on the water, water heater, 'fridge, ice maker, lower AC, etc) for when you are coming down.
You can also set up temporary forwarding of mail for up to 12 months so you don't get mail piling up in your mailbox.
As a last resort, if your neighbors' are snowbirds themselves, make your house less attractive than theirs (just kidding!!).

[Macgregorsailor51]

It was a minor point but a point non the less when choosing to Retire State Side versus Mexico, in Mexico leaving your home vacant was or could be a issue.. In The USA , at least anywhere where we or I have lived , its never been an issue. Our Michigan Lake Front Cottage was left vacant Thanksgiving To Easter Every Year with no issues.. 5 Snowbirds on our "circle" / loop and none has ever been robbed.

[jean_ji]

We have wifi thermostats in both places. Since we keep the internet on for that, we added wifi cameras to keep an eye things. The one in the north is more a snow cam, we live in a tight neighborhood where everyone keeps an eye on things for each other. Our furnace did not turn on one morning and we called our local heating company that has a key to fix it the next day, a wifi thermostat is great.

We were going to hire someone to come in once a week, but the heating guy told us they could come in on a Monday, the heat goe out on Tuesday and you wouldn't know until the next check and the pipes be frozen by then, we have hot water radiators and turn off the main water valve.

In FL we keep an eye that the AC is working and turn the water off there too. We have a larger lot with neighbors further apart but have a neighbor there we can call if we need to, we help them out when they are gone on trips etc. We have LED lights on timers that go on and off. Our son lives close by and checks in once in a while, usually as he's borrowing something.

The cameras are good in both places to check that the yard services are doing what they say, we got burned in both places the first year. We've since found reliable people at both places. The northern one texted he had cut our grass and DH texted back that we saw he had and thank you. It doesn't hurt to keep them on their toes.

One other thing we have in both places is a fake TV; it's a 3" LED unit that goes on at dusk for four hours. The light intensity and colors vary, so it looks like there is a tv on behind shades or blinds. When we left here last year we got a text from our neighbor letting us know his son noticed a TV playing in our house upstairs. He figured it was probably a gadget, but he was checking all the same, it's that realistic.

We forward mail both places, so no stuffed mail boxes.

Quite frankly if I were casing places, all you have to do is notice where garbage cans aren't being put out and if if there isn't an ADT sign or visible security or nosy neighbors....

[froglipz]

Originally Posted by double6's

live in a good neighborhood..and don't **** off the neighbors.

Best advice EVER! Make friends with your neighbors and they will keep an eye on your place while you are gone.

[MikMal]

We have wifi thermostats in both places. Since we keep the internet on for that, we added wifi cameras to keep an eye things. ...
We, too, have a WiFi thermostat that you can check both temp and humidity and adjust temps if needed. But we're re-thinking that due to the cost of maintaining internet (nearly $100 month ) and just following the recommended temp setting from FPL.
We were going to hire someone to come in once a week, but the heating guy told us they could come in on a Monday, the heat goe out on Tuesday and you wouldn't know until the next check and the pipes be frozen by then, we have hot water radiators and turn off the main water valve.
If you're worried about freezing you can get a freeze alarm, so long as you still have phone service. It will call whatever phone number you program into it and give a pre-recorded message. Even has battery backup in case of a power failure.

Anybody else having issues with replying with a quote? I reply but it keeps telling me my reply is too short...needs to be at least 1 character???

[Macgregorsailor51]

Twice yesterday.. today its fine.... yesterday it stopped all by itself like it was MAGIC! Back IN The Day We Called It ......PFM....

Originally Posted by MikMal

Anybody else having issues with replying with a quote? I reply but it keeps telling me my reply is too short...needs to be at least 1 character???