Page 4 - Kiplinger's Personal Finance - November 2018

LIVING

they find the right location and com- and TripAdvisor.com. Besides
munity. Some rent the same place for rent, you may pay fees—say, for
years; others buy a second home that booking or cleaning—as well
may become their primary residence as local and state taxes. Local
in retirement. Whatever your migra- vacation-rental property man-
tory path, successful snowbirding agers may be less likely to charge
takes preparation and smart plan- renters a booking fee.
ning—beyond finding temporary digs In most cases, homes are fully
and ensuring your primary home is furnished. Before you sign a rental
safe and sound until you return. agreement, find out whether cable and
internet service are provided. Do you
RESERVE A RENTAL —EARLY get an allowance for utilities? What
In most places, January through breeds and sizes of pets are allowed,
March or April is peak snowbird sea- if any? Is any cleaning included?
son. Migrators often book the same What’s the parking situation? Will
place for the coming year before they you have free access to all amenities?
leave in the spring, and others begin
booking their rental as early as August. MOTHBALL YOUR HOME
Early birds get the biggest blocks of The Engels have preparation for their
time and the most-desirable proper- departure down to a science. It takes
ties, with features such as an extra them about two days as they work
bedroom and bath, a good view, through Pete’s comprehensive pre-
updated furnishings and plenty of flight checklist. You’ll develop your
amenities (such as a clubhouse, pool, own, but here are points to consider.
gym, tennis courts and golf course).
At Vacasa.com, which lists and E Prevent water damage. To keep
manages vacation rentals in 23 states your homeowners coverage for water
and 16 countries, snowbirds often damage in force while you’re away,
book properties in Alabama, Arizona, most insurers require you either to
Florida and Texas. Shaun Greer, senior maintain adequate heat (55 to 65
director of real estate, says snowbird degrees) or to shut off the water and E Unplug electronics and appliances.
rentals tend to be budget-friendlier drain the pipes, says Ana Robic, chief You’ll prevent “vampire” usage (elec-
along the Gulf Coast of Texas, Ala- operating officer for Chubb Personal tricity drained when a device is turned
bama and northwestern Florida , Risk Services. (Call your insurer to off but still plugged in), reduce fire risk
where winter is a bit chillier than see what it requires.) and avoid damage from power surges.
in the central and southern regions To shut off the water, close the main Empty your refrigerator’s automatic
of Arizona or Florida. (See the table shut-off valve, then open the faucets on ice maker and turn it off. If you want
on page 70 for the range of monthly the highest and lowest fixtures in the to unplug the fridge, completely empty
rents during snowbird season in house until no more water runs from it, clean it and prop open the door to
popular destinations.) them. In lieu of turning off the water avoid mold. Turn down the water
Sindy Ready, a real estate agent in and draining pipes, you could have a heater to low.
Scottsdale, Ariz., says that most prop- plumber install an automatic water
erty owners prefer a rental contract shut-off valve, which will detect an E Suspend services. Ask your newspaper
of at least a month (also the minimum abnormal rate of flow and shut off the for a vacation hold to suspend deliv-
required by many homeowners associ- water before much damage can occur. ery. Cable and internet providers
ations) or as many as three to four The Water Hero Leak Detection and generally allow you to suspend ser-
months to reduce wear and tear on Automatic Water Shut-Off system, for vice from one to nine months during
their homes. example, costs $695 plus an hour or the year for a small monthly fee—
To expand your search, contact a so of labor (www.waterheroinc.com). about $6 to $10. You needn’t turn
locally based vacation-rental property You can monitor it from your smart- in equipment, and your phone num-
manager or a real estate agent, who can phone. In most states, Chubb offers a ber and e-mail address will stay the
help you match communities with your premium discount when policyholders same. On the date you set, service
budget and interests, and search sites in single-family homes install an auto- will be automatically restored with-
such as Airbnb.com, HomeAway.com matic water shut-off valve. out a service visit.

68 KIPLINGER’S PERSONAL FINANCE 11/2018

K11L-SNOWBIRDS.a.indd 68 9/21/18 3:26 PM