Leaving Your Southern Home for the Summer?

Your time in Florida is coming to an end as the heat of the Florida summer is on the way. To keep your Florida home in good condition, take a few moments now to prepare before you leave. Many of the responsibilities are comparable to the ones you did at your home up North.

First and foremost, insure that you have eyes on your home. Enlist the help of a friend, trusted neighbor, or a home watch service before leaving. This is important because unless you plan on renting your property out for the summer, your Florida home will be vacant for a number of months. Having someone check in on it once or twice a month may make the difference between minor issues becoming major problems.

Here are a few more helpful tips to prepare your winter retreat while you are away:

  1. Pack up or secure your patio furniture and other outdoor items. Hurricane season typically runs from June 1 through November 30. A hurricane or tropical storm can turn your outdoor furniture into flying debris.
  2. Check your hurricane shutters. There are many types of shutters on the market, those already attached to the home and those that need to be manually installed. Whichever type you have, verify that they work properly and all the attachments are present. Storm shutters are a worthwhile investment in keeping your property safe.
  3. Do you have landscaping maintenance crew to care for your yard while you are gone? Plants thrive in the tropical Florida summers. Hiring a landscaper to come regularly to trim trees, prune plants, and mow your lawn keeps your home looking good, and lived in, even when you’re not here. If you have a sprinkler system, have it tested before you leave and tested periodically while you are gone. It is unbelievable how many sprinkler heads get damaged.
  4. Have your HVAC system cleaned, serviced and maintained for the summer months. The function of the HVAC system is to control temperature, control humidity, and distribute the air. This is important to prevent problems with mold and mildew from developing in your home. The EPA recommends to “Keep indoor humidity low. If possible, keep indoor humidity below 60 percent (ideally between 30 and 50 percent) relative humidity. Relative humidity can be measured with a moisture or humidity meter, a small, inexpensive ($10-$50) instrument available at many hardware stores.”
  5. Have an overall assessment of your home done prior leaving. Identify any potential problems and have them repaired so they don’t cause serious damage while you are gone. We can assist you with this.

Of course these are just a few of the things to help prepare your Florida home for the summer months. Call us for more information regarding our services and how we will be able to help you.