How does "Snowbirding" work?

[Walt34]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marita40 However, I don't know how people arrange for care for their primary homes during this period. I'm single and live alone; I suppose I'd have to hire someone to check the house (in winter, frozen pipes, snow dams, etc can be a worry). I wonder when I actually get to retirement if snowbirding versus a good long vacation will be worth it.

After a different neighbor had a water leak over the winter my former snowbirding next-door neighbor had the water co. turn the water off at the street and back on in the spring. It cost ~$50 both times but to him it was well worth the peace of mind. The one who had the water leak also started doing that after he repaired all the damage. The damage I think was well into five figures so that wasn't something worth risking again. If you did that you could also have a plumber drain the water pipes and water heater, probably ~$100 but it would virtually eliminate any risk of frozen pipes.

As for snow dams, yeah you'd have to hire someone for that.

[Dash man]

We're able to turn off our water main where it enters the house in the basement. We drain the pipes and turn the thermostat to about 60. We turn off the breaker to the water heater. Hire a guy to plow the driveway and shovel the walkway. Neighbors help keep an eye out for us too. Never had a problem.

[Maenad]

If you're close with any of your neighbors you can hire them to watch your place for you. My brother supplements his winter income by checking neighbors' houses when they go on vacation or snowbird. When it's someone who's just down the street it isn't a major inconvenience.

[Ronstar]

Water is our biggest concern. At our Illinois house, I turn off the well pump breaker, close the main water valve, disconnect water filter system and water softener, turn off water heater breaker, and drain some of the water out of the lines. We set thermostat at 55° and I use my computer FaceTime camera as on online security camera where I watch inside desk mounted thermometer while we're gone. so far so good.

In the early snowbird days I did not turn off the water at the condo - the main shutoff valve didn't work. While gone for the summer, I got a phone call that water was flowing out of the garage. The expansion tank in the garage sprung a leak - I had to contact our home watch service and have them let a plumber in to fix it. Same thing happened to a neighbor. Mine was minimal damage - just a new expansion tank. Neighbor had drywall replacement, new garage door and some other repairs.

I've since had a new main valve installed and now shut off the water whenever we're gone for more than a few days. The home watch service comes monthly, turns on the water, flushes toilets, runs garbage disposal as part of her inspection and shuts off water when she leaves.

Someone in our development left for the summer and a fire sprinkler line burst and flooded their unit. Lots of damage - and something hard to stop because there is no way for the homeowner to shut off the sprinkler lines.

[BeachOrCity]

Fyi
If you use a nest or other smart thermostat you can get an automated message if the temperature exceeds a preset limit. You can also get automated motion detection with their camera.

The simplisafe alarm system is less costly than other options and has available temperature and water sensors (think water sensors by washer and hot water heater)

These options can bring peace of mind....

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ronstar Water is our biggest concern. At our Illinois house, I turn off the well pump breaker, close the main water valve, disconnect water filter system and water softener, turn off water heater breaker, and drain some of the water out of the lines. We set thermostat at 55° and I use my computer FaceTime camera as on online security camera where I watch inside desk mounted thermometer while we're gone. so far so good. In the early snowbird days I did not turn off the water at the condo - the main shutoff valve didn't work. While gone for the summer, I got a phone call that water was flowing out of the garage. The expansion tank in the garage sprung a leak - I had to contact our home watch service and have them let a plumber in to fix it. Same thing happened to a neighbor. Mine was minimal damage - just a new expansion tank. Neighbor had drywall replacement, new garage door and some other repairs. I've since had a new main valve installed and now shut off the water whenever we're gone for more than a few days. The home watch service comes monthly, turns on the water, flushes toilets, runs garbage disposal as part of her inspection and shuts off water when she leaves. Someone in our development left for the summer and a fire sprinkler line burst and flooded their unit. Lots of damage - and something hard to stop because there is no way for the homeowner to shut off the sprinkler lines.

[Ronstar]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BeachOrCity Fyi If you use a nest or other smart thermostat you can get an automated message if the temperature exceeds a preset limit. You can also get automated motion detection with their camera. The simplisafe alarm system is less costly than other options and has available temperature and water sensors (think water sensors by washer and hot water heater) These options can bring peace of mind....

Thanks - I looked at nest and I'm considering all options at this point. Problem is I have a dual zone system - I haven't researched enough yet, but it looks like I need 2 nest or smart thermostats to make it work. But I will have something like this in place before winter because my FaceTime camera sometimes takes a week or two (or a month) off so I may go a month without knowing whats going on.

[Music Lover]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BeachOrCity Fyi If you use a nest or other smart thermostat you can get an automated message if the temperature exceeds a preset limit. You can also get automated motion detection with their camera.

My thermostat that can be operated with my smart phone from anywhere as long as there is Wi-Fi. I've never checked if it has an alert feature, but simply being able to check the temperature is good enough for me.

[folivier]

Just checked and my Honeywell wifi thermostat will alert me if temperature inside exceeds the high or low set points.

[Ted_Shepherd]

Answer for TrophyWife:
Do you own two homes? Yes, one in Nevada and one in Pennsylvania
Do you have a car both places? Yes, one in each home
Friends in both places? A few in each state, and a few also in Palm Springs.
It works fine. I spend about one month each season in Pennsylvania. My spouse has a work commitment that keeps him there more of the year. He spends time with me in our Nevada home, too. I bought the Pennsylvania home early last year in anticipation of marrying him early this year. He can retire fairly soon. We will keep both houses then. They are comfortable for us and have no mortgages. Taxes, utilities, and maintenance are manageable. The Nevada house is by far the finest house I've ever had, must better than I could afford in California. Paid cash from day one. Pennsylvania's ample rain fall makes the state green and beautiful to me, a native of the Southwest deserts. Our Nevada home is near Las Vegas with all its attractions.

[pb4uski]

We keep the water on because we need it for heating but I turn off the main supplys to the pex manifold so in the event the pipes freeze there will be no water running through them. We keep the thermostat at 54F. I have a temperature monitor via the internet that I can monitor temperature in the house from my phone and I look at it every day or so while we are away... it will send my phone a text if the temperature goes below 40F. A neighbor checks in on the place each week and also waters the plants and I can call him if the temperature dips.

We did have an issue in 2016 where I was monitoring the temperature and dipped below 54F after my son had been at the house for the weekend... I called him to check that he had set the thermostat back to 54F before he left and he said he had... called the plumber and gave him the code to enter the house .... it ended up being a failed part in the water heater so we were without heat.

[Bestwifeever]

I just heard a story about a woman who returned to her main home after a couple of snowbirding months and found it overrun by mice. It didn't sound like anyone had been nsude and checked it during her absence. We trap the occasional mouse in our basement over the winter so I could see that a a possibility at our house but maybe there is a way to prevent it.

[Music Lover]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bestwifeever I just heard a story about a woman who returned to her main home after a couple of snowbirding months and found it overrun by mice. It didn't sound like anyone had been nsude and checked it during her absence. We trap the occasional mouse in our basement over the winter so I could see that a a possibility at our house but maybe there is a way to prevent it.

I'm pretty sure that leaving your house empty for 2 months without having someone check on it on occasion would violate most home insurance policies...

[Bestwifeever]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Music Lover I'm pretty sure that leaving your house empty for 2 months without having someone check on it on occasion would violate most home insurance policies...

I realized recently that two weeks is my max to be away so no true snowbirding in my future, but I guess checking the fine print on home insurance would be important!

[Floridatennisplayer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bestwifeever I realized recently that two weeks is my max to be away so no true snowbirding in my future, but I guess checking the fine print on home insurance would be important!

Majority of all policies are that way. All you need is someone to walk through your house twice a month and make sure no issues. Gosh, it's no big deal.

[imoldernu]

For the years we were still going south, we had the city turn the water off at the street, leave the furnace set for 40 degrees, and gave neighbors on both sides a remote reading thermometer so they could watch for freezing. Our kids would drop by once a month just to check all was well. (60 miles away). 8 years and never a problem.

[bearkeley]

We love our house on the Chesapeake Bay but also love traveling to warmer weather when it gets cold in Virginia. The last two years, we spent 5 months traveling to Australia and Asia. We combined hotel stays with camper rentals and housesitting. This year, we plan to snowbird within the US and possibly the Caribbean by taking our boat south on the Intercostal Waterway.

We had some mice move into our house and car the first year we travelled (our house is on 12 rural acres) and had a break in this past year (only stole our PlayStation and games....nothing else, not even jewelry or other electronics!) Thinking of downsizing in a few years to a condo to minimize maintenance concerns after a long trip, but for now, still enjoying our house in the spring / summers.