Homeowner close-up list · Not a Home Watch visit

Florida Snowbird Departure Checklist: What to Do Before You Leave

A practical close-up list for seasonal Florida homeowners — water, HVAC, mail, storm prep, and insurance — then a path to scheduled Pinellas Home Watch if you do not want to rely on a neighbor.

This page is for the homeowner — the week you leave Florida, not the visit Knight Group makes after you are gone. Search demand for a Florida snowbird departure checklist or what to do before leaving a Florida house for the summer usually starts months before anyone is ready to hire a watcher. Use it as a close-up list, then decide whether you want scheduled photo reports while you are away.

It is not a licensed home inspection, not legal or insurance advice, and not a substitute for your carrier’s vacancy rules. If you want someone other than a neighbor to walk the house on a set schedule in Pinellas County, that is Knight Group Home Watch.

Water

Decide, in writing, whether the main stays on, is isolated, or is shut off — then tell whoever checks the house
Know where the main shutoff and hose bibs are
Fix drips you already know about; a slow drip becomes a ceiling stain while you are north
Note icemaker, washer, and outdoor hose connections

Thermostat and humidity

Set cooling for an unoccupied Gulf-coast house, not a lived-in setpoint
Confirm the system actually ran after you changed it
Replace a dirty filter before a long vacancy
Write the agreed temperature into your Home Watch protocol if you hire checks

Kitchen, refrigerator, and pests

Empty perishables; decide fridge on/off and freezer contents
Take out trash and wipe crumbs that invite pests
Unplug small appliances you do not want drawing power

Mail, packages, and the look of vacancy

Hold or forward mail; stop routine deliveries that pile up
Ask a neighbor or Home Watch to note flyers and packages
Do not advertise travel dates on social posts tied to the address

Storm and hurricane season

Bring in or secure outdoor furniture and loose items
Check that screens, doors, and obvious weak points are latched
Know your HOA’s storm rules if you live in a gated or deed-restricted community
Plan a post-storm check separately from weekly Home Watch

Windows, doors, vehicles, and access

Lock windows and doors; test the ones you actually use
Leave vehicles as your insurer and HOA allow — covered, moved, or listed
Write access instructions for a trusted person: gate, alarm, lockbox, HOA, and who to call first
Do not put alarm codes on a public web form

People to notify

Emergency contact who can authorize a repair
HOA or property manager if required
A licensed plumber or electrician you already trust, for work outside handyman scope

Insurance

Read any vacancy or unoccupied-home clause (often 30–60 days in Florida)
Ask the carrier what visit frequency or documentation they want
Keep dated photos. They support a paper trail; they do not automatically pay a claim

After you leave

Don’t want to rely on a neighbor while you’re gone? Knight Group Home Watch provides scheduled, photo-documented checks throughout Pinellas County. See what we visually check on each visit and published Home Watch pricing. Repair labor is always a separate quote.

FAQ

Departure questions

What you handle before you fly north, and how Pinellas Home Watch fits after you leave.

Is this the same as a Home Watch visit?

No. This page is for you, the homeowner, before you leave Florida. The Home Watch visit checklist is what Knight Group uses after you are gone. Use both: close the house well, then have scheduled photo reports while you are away.

Does completing this checklist replace Home Watch?

No. A neighbor or a one-time close-up cannot see a slow leak three weeks later. Home Watch is the scheduled follow-through in Pinellas County.

Will this satisfy my insurance vacancy clause?

Not by itself. Many Florida policies have unoccupied-home rules after about 30–60 days. Read your policy, follow any visit or reporting rules your carrier lists, and keep dated records. Knight Group reports support a paper trail; they do not automatically satisfy a vacancy clause or guarantee a claim.

Should I shut the water off?

Follow your plumber’s and insurer’s advice for that house. Many snowbirds shut the main or isolate unused branches and leave HVAC running for humidity. Write the water setting into your Home Watch protocol so visits match what you intended.

What if I am leaving a Lutz or North Tampa house?

Handyman work can be quoted there on expanding routes with address confirmation. Home Watch stays Pinellas-first for now because recurring visits need route density. Pinellas second homes still use the Home Watch Pinellas page.