Free checklist · For snowbirds & second-home owners
Snowbird Home-Close Checklist
The same run-down Geoff uses when he closes up a Treasure Coast home for the summer. Go top to bottom — most of these take under a minute.
1 · Inside the house
Walk the whole house first. If you see something to fix, do it now — not in October when you're back.
- Set AC to 78–80°F with humidity control on (or 55% RH).Keeping the AC running at a low cycle is cheaper than mold remediation. Never turn it off completely.
- Replace the HVAC filter.Fresh filter = system runs efficiently all summer with nobody watching.
- Pour a cup of bleach-water down the AC condensate drain.Kills the slime that clogs the line mid-summer and causes ceiling leaks.
- Shut off the main water supply at the house valve.Or at minimum, close valves to the washing machine, dishwasher, and icemaker — the three most common long-away leak sources.
- Set water heater to “Vacation” or lowest setting.No point heating 40 gallons nobody's using.
- Run a half-cup of mineral oil down every sink and tub drain.Traps don't evaporate = no sewer-gas smell in October.
- Empty the fridge and freezer of anything perishable.Leave an open box of baking soda inside. Prop the door open slightly if you're turning the unit off.
- Clean the garbage disposal and dishwasher.Run a cycle with vinegar. Wipe gaskets. Leave dishwasher door cracked.
- Empty kitchen and bathroom trash cans.Leave a fresh liner. Rinse the can.
- Wash or dry-clean anything left in drawers.Florida humidity + dirty cotton = mildew by July.
- Put out moisture absorbers (DampRid or similar) in closets and bathrooms.Especially useful if you run the AC higher than 78.
- Unplug everything that doesn't need to stay plugged in.TVs, toasters, coffee makers, lamps. Keeps the house from drawing phantom power and protects against lightning surges.
- Test smoke and carbon-monoxide alarms, replace batteries.Leave them working — insurance requires it, and neighbors will hear a real alarm if you have one.
2 · Outside & pool
Everything that can blow, grow, or leak while you're gone.
- Stow or strap down all patio furniture.Even well-built pieces become projectiles in 60-mph gusts.
- Bring cushions and fabric items indoors.They mold outside and sail in storms.
- Disconnect and drain the garden hose.Left-on spigots cause slow leaks that run for months.
- Check the irrigation timer.Set a summer schedule, or disable it entirely and hire someone to hand-water. Broken sprinkler heads flood yards fast.
- Clean gutters and downspouts.Florida rain is a firehose. Clogged gutters = water into soffits, fascia, and walls.
- Arrange for lawn and landscape service.Every two weeks minimum during the wet season. Overgrown grass = code-enforcement letter.
- Drop pool water level 2–4 inches (check your pool builder).Florida rain will refill it. Too low damages the pump; too high overflows the skimmer.
- Set up pool maintenance.Weekly chemical service, minimum. Unattended pools turn green in a week.
- Lock all exterior doors, gates, and the shed.Obvious, but check them a second time.
- Photograph the whole exterior.Wide shots of each side. Invaluable for insurance if a storm hits.
3 · Storm prep & security
If you're away from June through November, assume at least one named storm. Plan for it before you leave.
- Inspect, count, and stage hurricane shutters or panels.Label them by window. Leave them where someone can actually find them.
- Arrange a shutter-up contact — in writing.Property-management service, a neighbor, or a licensed contractor. Name, phone, and what they're authorized to do.
- Leave one house key (and gate/garage codes) with your go-to contact.Stored securely. Not under the doormat.
- Trim trees and palms near the roof, lanai, and power drop.May is late for this, but better than June.
- Test the generator under load; top off stabilized fuel.And store extra fuel outside, in shade, in proper cans.
- Confirm your homeowner's + windstorm + flood policies are active through November.Know your deductibles and your claim phone number.
- Set alarm system & cameras; confirm remote access works.Test from your northern home before you land there.
4 · Mail, utilities & paper trail
Boring but catches the stuff that bites you later.
- Put in a USPS mail hold or forward.usps.com → Hold Mail or Change of Address (temporary).
- Pause or forward newspapers and recurring deliveries.A driveway full of Amazon boxes is a break-in invitation.
- Set utility bills to autopay and verify the email goes to the address you'll read.Power, water, internet, pool service, landscape, alarm.
- Leave a "house sheet" inside a kitchen drawer.Main water shutoff location, main breaker location, HVAC model, pool pump timer, alarm code, emergency contacts. For whoever shows up in a pinch.
- Update your emergency contact with your northern address and phone.Tell your property manager, alarm company, neighbor, and pool guy how to reach you.
Notes
Want someone else to handle all of this? Geoff closes up snowbird houses every spring. Licensed FL contractor, 30+ years on the Treasure Coast.
Let Geoff Do It · Worthington Enterprises · FL CRC1334510 · Port St. Lucie, FL · 772-262-5419 · worthingtoncon@comcast.net · letgeoffdoit.com