Top 9 Things to Consider for Snowbirds and Vacationers Before Leaving Home

This is the time of year that thousands of baby boomers and retirees fly south for the Winter, commonly called: Snowbirds. This is also the time of year when thousands of people escape winter for warmer climates for a few weeks! It’s important to keep your home winterized and secure while you’re gone as you don’t want your home to look like no one’s home! Here’s some things to consider:

• Mail tends to pile up in your mailbox, to avoid this, consider getting a mail forwarding service that will keep your mail. Also, you may want to consider digitalizing all your bills and correspondence to avoid mail altogether!
• With no mail, you’ll still have the issue of junk mail and flyers strewn around your front door, so consider getting a trusted neighbour or family member to take these away for you.

• Call your cellphone company to get a roaming package so you don’t have to always rely on the internet. For longer stays, a US phone number and smartphone plan makes sense.
• Download Eden App on your iPhone or Android device so you can get a licensed contractor to come and plow your driveway or shovel your walkways and sidewalk. You can do this from anywhere and receive before and after pictures so you know the work was done.

• Consider getting outdoor sun-powered lights along your walkway, or setting a timer for your outdoor lighting so that your house doesn’t appear dark and abandoned.
• Make sure your house can survive any extreme freezing or snow storms by checking your furnace, roof and other parts of your home that may be vulnerable.
• Invest in a home monitoring system for peace of mind. Furthermore, you may want to store away all your valuables in your bank’s safety deposit box.
• An easy one: unplug all unnecessary electronics and appliances, just in case!
• Lastly, you may not want to post your travel plans on social media sites as this means you’re publicly announcing that your house is vacant.

What other things have we missed that you need to consider when leaving your home for an extended period of time? Let us know in the comments below. Safe travels!