Tips For Snowbirds

Tips For Snowbirds | Three Movers

The Snowbird lifestyle can be very appealing for obvious reasons. You get to skip out on the harsh winter weather of your primary residence and soak up some sunshine in a warmer climate, it offers a built-in vacation each year, and it allows you to try out an area before buying a second home or consider retiring there. But there are also some challenges that come along with being Snowbird. In this post, we’ll provide some tips that will help make you prepared and ensure that you enjoy the Snowbird lifestyle to the fullest.

Try A Practice Run

One of the advantages of being a Snowbird is that you can try out certain cities, regions, or neighborhoods on a temporary basis before settling on one that will be your go-to spot. There are a couple ways you can do this, but one of the most popular is taking an RV. It’s more affordable than renting or buying a place and it comes with the added benefit that you’re more mobile so you can hit multiple destinations in one trip. The downside is that an RV doesn’t truly feel like a home, especially if you’ll be spending several weeks or even months living out of it. Alternately, you can get a short-term rental to try out an area, or you can book several different rentals to try out various areas you’re interested in.

Rent Before Your Buy

If you do settle on a specific area that you want to be your annual winter vacation spot, try to resist the urge to immediately buy a second home there. Even if you’ve fallen in love with a certain city or neighborhood, it’s still a good idea to rent a place for a couple years before buying. That way, you’ll be sure that you know the ins and outs of what life will be like there, as well as get a feel for the property market and be better in tune with the shifting dynamics that affect it.

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Keep Medical Needs in Mind

One thing you should not overlook when considering a Snowbirding destination is your access to medical care. If you have maintenance medications that you need on an ongoing basis, you’ll need to make sure you have access to a doctor and pharmacy where you get your medication. It’s also important to remember that more medical issues tend to pop up as we get older, so even if you don’t currently have the need for a nearby medical facility, that doesn’t mean you won’t in the future. Almost every city will provide some form of medical facility, but if you have any conditions that require a specialist, you’ll want one nearby during the winter too.

Digitize

Rather than having your mail and bills forwarded to you, it’s a good idea to digitize as much of it as you can. The postal service can be helpful if you simply want mail forwarded, but it’s not always the most reliable when switching residences for longer periods of time, which makes it much easier if you have everything done electronically. This applies to banking as well—you’ll have a much easier time managing your finances if you can take care of everything on your phone or a computer.

Winterize Your Primary Residence

One of the major things you’ll want to take care of before heading south for the winter is making sure everything is set at your primary residence. Make sure all entrances are locked and secured and that any other security measures like cameras or alarms are set up and in place. Motion detector lights are recommended for the outdoors, and it’s not a bad idea to set indoor lights on a timer so that your home isn’t obviously empty for months at a time. If you have a neighbor or family member that can check in on your house every week or so, that’s a good idea too and you’ll need some help if you want your plants to survive! Don’t forget to turn down the thermostat and water heater so that you’re not paying unnecessary fees for utilities you’re not using.