Thinking about becoming a Snowbird? You’d be in good company here at Solivita where 40% of our residents are Snowbirds. Most people come down around Thanksgiving and head back up north in the Spring. We want to help you transition with these fun facts and a handy Snowbird Checklist!

Snowbirds are Healthier

64% of Snowbirds say their health is “very good” or “excellent,” according to the study “Snowbirds, Sunbirds and Stayers: Seasonal Migration of the elderly in Florida.” In Florida, you don’t have to worry about shoveling accidents, slipping and falling on the ice, car accidents due to snowy roads, or over exposure to the cold

Off-season Care Takers

Most Snowbirds spend up to 6 months in their sunny winter homes. In Solivita, we have the kind of community where neighbors watch out for one another. This means a friendly neighbor can always watch your Florida home when you head back up north. You can also hire a caretaker. It averages $40 or less a month to hire a Solivita resident who specializes in watching homes for Snowbirds. If you’re worried about your house after a storm or other damage, they can send you a video of your home and coordinate with local contractors to make repairs. Honestly, our homes in Solivita are built so well that there’s simply not much to take care of.

Time for a Bigger Winter House

What we find is that Snowbirds start small and quickly realize they want to become full time residents and need more room! 20% of our buyers in Solivita purchase multiple homes.

Snowbird checklistSnowbird Checklist

Moving from house to house can be stressful! There are so many details to consider. This snowbird checklist can help you get ready.

Kitchen
  • Store all your outside furniture, plants, grills, hoses, and outdoor decorations inside in a garage or shed
  • Bring all doormats inside
  • Set thermostat to 55 degrees
  • Empty icemaker and turn “off”
  • Turn refrigerator to lowest setting
  • Throw out perishable food
  • Donate canned food
  • Throw out or pass along any carbonated drinks
  • Shut off your water main, open your faucets, and let the water run out
House Maintenance
  • Flush your toilets to empty the tanks after you shut off the water. Then, add 1 cup of anti-freeze to your toilet bowl
  • Ask a professional to drain your hot water heater
  • Turn off gas valves
  • Unplug washer, dryer, television, cable, toaster, coffee maker, computer/printer, microwave, and other small appliances
  • Turn off your circuit breaker
  • Pull all shades down or close curtains
  • Shut off washing machine valves
  • Change A/C filter and have HVAC drain line cleaned or schedule a maintenance before you leave and another for when you return
  • Leave all interior doors, especially closet doors, as well as all cabinet doors, open
Utilities and Neighbors
  • Be sure to notify your security company or neighbors that you’ll be gone
  • Make sure someone nearby has a key
  • Leave name and contact information of local person who will know how to reach you in case of an emergency
  • Have alarm system checked before you leave; change batteries if needed
  • Two weeks before you leave, go to usps.com and forward all mail to the other address
  • Stop newspaper delivery
  • Call your utilities, phone, cable, and internet to either discontinue service or see if you can put on “seasonal hold”
  • Let your bank and credit cards know will be making purchases in another location
Packing List
  • Bring a lockbox with insurance policies, wills, and other important documents
  • Pack all medications, prescriptions and eyeglasses with you when you leave
  • If you ship your car, remove any toll road passes such as your Florida SunPass or an E-Z pass so you don’t get charged each time the car carrier goes through a toll booth
Lock Up
  • Lock all windows, doors and sliding glass doors before departing as a snowbird
  • Lock garage door from the inside and/or disable electric access