Free printable checklist
Snowbird checklist for two homes
Two homes, one list: closing up the house up north for winter and the Florida home for summer, and what travels with you. Tick it off as you go, or print it. No sign-up.
The settings to leave
Up north in winter
55°F or warmer
The heat on day and night, so the pipes don’t freeze.
Florida in summer
85°F at most
The air conditioning on, so it still runs and dries the air.
60%
humidity or less in Florida
Water off
at the main, in both homes
A key
with someone who looks in
- • Up north in winter: the heat on at 55°F or warmer, day and night, so the pipes don’t freeze.
- • In Florida in summer: the air conditioning at 85°F at most, so it still runs and dries the air.
- • Humidity in the Florida home at 60% or less. Mildew grows in warm, damp air.
- • Both homes: the water off at the main or the meter, and someone with a key looking in.
Your year in two homes
Tap the months you’re in Florida.
6months in Florida
November to April
6months up north
May to October
- Your Florida home stands empty for 5 of the 6 months of hurricane season. Arrange the shutters before you go.
- The home up north stands empty in the coldest months. Leave the heat on at 55°F or warmer.
A few weeks before you go
0/7Closing the home up north
0/8Closing the Florida home for summer
0/8What travels with you
0/8Keep a set in each home
0/6When you arrive
0/5
Ask Pax
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Questions
What temperature should I leave my house at for the winter?
No lower than 55°F, day and night, is the American Red Cross’s advice for a home left empty in cold weather, so the pipes don’t freeze. Open the cabinet doors under the sinks too, and turn off the main water valve so a burst pipe can’t keep flooding the house.
What should I set my AC to when I leave Florida for the summer?
No higher than 85°F, so the air conditioning still runs now and then and pulls the damp out of the air, says UF/IFAS Extension. Keep the humidity at 60% or less: mildew grows in warm, damp air. Have the system serviced a few weeks before you leave.
How do snowbirds get their mail?
With USPS temporary forwarding, set up at usps.com/move: up to 6 months at a time, and 12 months in all. USPS also has a paid Premium Forwarding Service that sends all your mail in one package each week. Bills on autopay or online mean less depends on the mail.
Does my insurance cover a home left empty for the season?
Ask your insurer before you go. Some policies limit cover for a home left empty a long time, or ask that someone checks on it. Photos of each room and your valuables, taken before you leave, make any claim easier.
What should I keep at each home?
Anything you use every day that’s cheap to buy twice: toiletries, chargers, reading glasses, everyday clothes for that weather, kitchen basics and a small toolkit. Then only medicines, documents, valuables, laptops and pets need to travel.
More help: How to create a home inventory, one room at a time · Storing your things between homes
Sources: American Red Cross, Winter storm safety · UF/IFAS Extension, Closing your seasonal home · UF/IFAS Palm Beach County, Closing your Florida home · USPS, Temporary move · National Hurricane Center, Hurricane season