Snowbirds: Who watches your house in the winter? (Sarasota, Bradenton: houses, live in) - Sarasota - Bradenton - Venice area - Florida (FL) -Manatee and Sarasota Counties - City-Data Forum

Avalon08 · 10-18-2011, 11:21 PM

I would like to come down to my Mom's (Bradenton) for a few months in the winter, but I now have a single-family house to think about. I would need someone to check the house to make sure pipes haven't burst, or the sump pump hasn't stopped working, etc. I've only been here a year and don't really want to ask any neighbors to do that, as I don't know them well enough and really don't want them "all up in my business". So I could probably get a relative or friend to swing by occasionally....but then I was thinking about the snow. It snowed a million times here last winter. The neighbors are out first thing in the morning shoveling. I would need someone to do that quickly, so it's not obvious the house is vacant. The friend/relative might not be able to get here, and I sure wouldn't want to ask them to shovel.

Just wondering how others handle this situation, and do you pay people to do this, and how do you find them, etc. Any and all ideas would be welcomed! TIA.

Harbor Hopper · 10-19-2011, 05:59 AM

Definitely pay a snow removal service. They may not always be there bright and early, but who cares as long as it gets done. Especially if you're not there, the plow will have other priorities during a heavy snow storm. If there are any teens in your area, ask if they want a winter job shoveling/snow blowing. Then their parents can make sure it actually gets done and its cheaper than hiring a service.
Regarding a home watcher, I personally would only be comfortable with a VERY good friend or relative stopping in a few weeks. Too many thieves out there...

Avalon08 · 10-19-2011, 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Harbor Hopper

Definitely pay a snow removal service. They may not always be there bright and early, but who cares as long as it gets done. Especially if you're not there, the plow will have other priorities during a heavy snow storm. If there are any teens in your area, ask if they want a winter job shoveling/snow blowing. Then their parents can make sure it actually gets done and its cheaper than hiring a service.
Regarding a home watcher, I personally would only be comfortable with a VERY good friend or relative stopping in a few weeks. Too many thieves out there...

Well, that's what I was trying to avoid -- "teens". I don't know the kids in this area, and we have had some break-ins, so the last people I want to know my house is vacant is teenagers. Even if THAT teen is trustworthy, they may mention it to someone else, who may mention it to someone else, etc.

mrs.cool · 10-19-2011, 11:17 AM

You're going to have to hire a guy to plow your driveway anyway, whether you're there or not, right? Or are you one of those do it yourself guys OR someone with a short driveway? (We fit neither of those categories.) :-)

Harbor Hopper · 10-19-2011, 11:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Avalon08

Well, that's what I was trying to avoid -- "teens". I don't know the kids in this area, and we have had some break-ins, so the last people I want to know my house is vacant is teenagers. Even if THAT teen is trustworthy, they may mention it to someone else, who may mention it to someone else, etc.

Even a licensed snow removal guy could tell their friends that you're gone just as easily as a teenager could. Unless you just don't tell the company you're leaving. If it's that bad in your area, you should probably get an alarm system for when you're in sunny FL.

Avalon08 · 10-19-2011, 11:55 AM

My driveway is about the length of three single-file cars (but shovelable), but I also have a fairly long sidewalk area (along the streetside) that MUST be cleared (using a blower or shovel). Some Good Samaritan did it for me last year, but I never did find out who did it. Just wondering how others handle it.

TamRE · 10-19-2011, 04:42 PM

My parents used to do 6 months in Syracuse, NY and 6 months in Florida. Now they are full time Florida residents. They had their driveway plowed in the winter and I went over and checked on their interior every couple of weeks. My customers that have homes up north usually have a neighbor check in on their home. That is the easiest way. Neighbor, friend, or relative are your best sources without having to pay someone. In Florida there is a company that does it for you called Home Watch and I know there are others around. Did you check into a company that does home watch services where your home is? They offer different packages and services.

Down here in Florida my parents live in a community where many of the people do 6 months up north and 6 months in Florida. My parents watch their homes in the summer while they are up north. The neighbors usually either give my parents a gift card for dinner or grocery store or they take my parents out to dinner when they come back down.

macyny · 10-19-2011, 06:09 PM

My daughter and SIL live in Ct and have a house in Sarasota. He has an alarm system which will alert him if the house temps drop or there is a flood. I believe he can check it from his laptop while away. The Florida home has been set up with something similar which will alert him if there is a leak or flood. He hires a pool service to clean the pool and has the property set up with gravel so there is no lawn to mow.

I believe everything he has set up can be bought in any store. Nothing fancy but allows him to check on both houses through his computer. I'm not computer savvy so can't be more specific.

Avalon08 · 10-20-2011, 06:40 PM

Ooh, I like that "computer monitoring" idea. I don't currently have an alarm system but I may just have to investigate them and see what they offer. Thanks for the ideas and suggestions.

PatSea · 11-18-2011, 05:47 PM

I just installed a wi-fi enabled thermostat for the HVAC system in our house. We can check the indoor temperature at any time from a PC or from my Smartphone. Provides a lot of peace of mind when we are in Florida in the winter. Also, when we travel for a few days we can set the furnace temp way down, then a few hours before we are to arrive back home I call it up on my phone (or PC) and set the temperature back to it's regular setting so our home is comfortable when we arrive back home. It costs only $99 at Home Depot. Requires a little bit of networking smarts to install, but it's not too bad. I installed the whole system in about 5 hours.