Advice needed - buying house and not moving in for 8 months
 

I am looking for any advice you can offer. We are closing on a house in 3 weeks but will not move in until October. We are going to arrange for lawn and pest service etc. but need advice on home watch/security. Can you recommend someone? Should we have an alarm system put in? I am going to consult a pool company for advice on the pool but if you can think of anything I may be missing, I would appreciate your thoughts.

If you are going to maint internet services............you might consider cheap Wyze cameras and consider smart thermostat(s).

We still use both after we moved here fulltime.

There are plenty of good housewatch people......jus wait for suggestions for your area.

Have you considered renting out in the interim? Demand is high. There are property managers that will take care of it.

Add irrigation maintenance and A WIFI irrigation controller.

My opinion is not to rent if you don’t have to, keep your house new and unused. We have owned for 4 years but only get down 4-5 weeks a year. Have never used a house watch or anything. Our neighbors are great and we have friends that have a key.

Each time we leave we shut off the water and water heater, turn AC to about 80 and cover the sink drains, shower drains with tape and the toilets we add bleach and cover with plastic wrap. This helps keep water in the traps and bugs from entering through the pipes.

what model house designer, courtyard ,villa? new or preowned ? Massey and Deans can do your pest inside and out and mow your lawn as well as weed the flower beds. If you are not going to be here for 8 months I would consider a home watch. The villages has a home watch service that can check inside and/or outside weekly, you realtor can get you intouch. If you want to rent it out for long term 6-8 months you can rent it unfurnished through the villages also What will make you more comfortable????

We are buying a Premier and will be having work done before we move in. Frankly, I would consider charging rent to a “care taker” (based on incremental utilities) to live in the house, watch over things and let contractors in and out, accept packages etc. it would be a great short term deal (house has a pool and a spa ).

People are great around here, I would ask the realtor to find out the name and number of the neighbors on both side or across the street and give them a call and explain your situation and ask if they would just keep an eye on the place. I use ADT for my security system and there are many companies that will mow your lawn.

The villages has a service called Empty Nest. Call them, they are very reasonable and do an excellent job of watching and maintaining your home.

Your new house (if it’s new) will come with smart thermostats. You will want to download the app and become familiar with its usage.

If you can have internet installed, I would suggest you put in a wifi smart thermostat so you check online how your AC/heat system is working during your absence. Some inside and outside wifi security cameras would also give you the opportunity to see how things are in and around your property, especially during and after big storms.
Congrats on your purchase!

I was in the same position three years ago. I was supposed to close the last day of March, but Covid hit and shut down the country, so I had to do it long distance. I didn’t move here until November. That was the first time I saw The Villages.

The best approach is to simply continue the service the previous owners used. Then, when you get here, if you aren’t happy, you can try to find another one. In my case, however, the previous owner did his own yard work and cleaned the pool himself. But his next door neighbor’s yard and pool looked nice, and she had people who did them. The previous owner got me the name and phone number of the neighbor, and she got me names and numbers of her service providers. I contacted them, and they were happy to add me to their list of customers. My mowers do about half a dozen yards surrounding mine at the same time now. The man who cleans the pool also cleans the neighbor’s pool. Nice for all of us.

As for home watch/security, it’s not necessary. Ask your agent though at closing and make sure the faucets are turned off, AC set at 78° 24/7, etc. That’s plenty. You definitely don’t need an alarm system. After all, your house is empty. Even when you are here, crimes against people and property here are so exceedingly rare that it’s a waste of time. Alarm systems are just peace of mind for people who are far too anxious, not because there is an actual need.

It's a Premier house, so it is not new. They don't build them anymore.

Do not hire DEANS as they stop doing lawn service when you head north - like they did to me - hire a HOME WATCH company to check on your home while you’re gone. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED ABOUT DEANS!!!

Security
 

Definitely some kind of security. You don't want to end up with some unfortunate homeless people squatting in your home. Put in some lights with timers, program your thermostat so you can monitor it from home. Manually lock the garage doors from the inside and put security bars on the sliding doors, their locks are not very secure