[bagboy]

Originally Posted by Jazuela

Renting from the airport won't be an option. There are two of us coming on different flights, and I would be the one returning the car. Rental agencies don't like that too much, if both aren't present to sign for it when they take it out. Like I said - logistics. It's a hot mess!

Hubby's bringing a suitcase (checked in, not carry on) filled with the essentials - a roll of TP, dish towel, a few plates and forks, a frying pan, etc. Our FIRST purchase will be a coffee maker. We can get that at Belk's. Air mattress I just found out is available at Target, and if I'm reading the map right, you can take a golf cart there. Plus they carry Coleman, which is a brand we're at least familiar with and can trust. Would make for a comfy guest bed at some point, and our home has two walk-in closets so there's enough place to store it til it's needed again.

The table requires a car. There's no way around it. So we think we'll be renting a car at Enterprise at Sumter Landing for one day, so we can get that dining table and chairs, probably at Walmart. And any other things we're not bringing down with us on subsequent trips (which we'll be driving, not flying). I didn't even realize there was a car rental IN the Villages, so this is a HUGE game changer. Yes it costs more than renting at the airport. But we will only need a -car- for one day. He's flying back 3 days after he gets there. I'll be there for the week.

Between Belk's and Target, I should be able to get other essentials such as new bathroom towels and soap dish, a small area rug.

We were going to buy a gorgeous futon set this trip (instead of a sofa) and have it delivered but sadly the futon we want comes in different deliveries - the frame, then the mattress, then the understorage drawers, and they can't schedule them. So we couldn't even schedule someone to receive them for us in advance. We'd only know within a day or two, which day it's expected to show up. So we'll have to wait on that for another trip. That's why we're getting the air mattress.

Thanks SO much everyone for your contributions to this thread, we've taken bits and pieces of various ideas and offers of advice to heart and thankfully hubby is more open-minded to the rental than he was, now that we know we can actually rent an SUV or pickup for just one day, right here in the Villages, and he doesn't have to deal with the drama of airport car rentals.

Just a little FYI, Hertz has a car rental office at Spanish Springs town square, much closer to your new home. I've rented from them for one day on a couple of occasions and from what I remember the cost was on the low side.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by raynan

Definitely get a card table and 4 folding chairs from Walmart. It will come in very handy after you move here if you host a driveway party, mah jong, cards or game nights and it's not and expensive purchase. Renting a car is a great idea. It will save you the cost of a taxi to and from shuttle, shuttle price which I think is $40 ea x 2 ways to and from airport and the cost of golf cart rental. Combine all those and renting the car for a week is a better idea and you'll have the flexibility of shopping around for furniture and trying the different makes of golf carts. We moved here from Mass. and rented space in an ABF trailer. You have 3 days to load, 3 days to unload. You rent space by the foot and lock off your section of a trailer that is coming south anyway. You pick your delivery date and time. We closed on our house at 9:30 and at 1pm trailer was delivered into our driveway right outside our garage door. Good luck and stop stressing. We've had good luck with rentalcars.com.

Shuttles are already booked. Renting at the airport not an option because as I said, we're not coming at the same time, or returning on the same day. MOST of the furniture we're bringing down from our house in the north. But we won't be doing that til a month or two after the closing, and we'll both be present at the closing. No trailer. The only furniture we really need, that we're not bringing ourselves, is a couch/futon (a queen size, it's already picked out but the delivery isn't possible this time around), and a kitchen table. We already have a folding table and chairs, we won't be buying a new one. We HAVE most of the furniture we need. We just can't fit it in a suitcase for our closing date! That's the reason for the whole thread. Logistics in just dealing with being IN the house for a week, on the date of closing, when we move into a totally empty building, for just barely a week. Renting a car for a single day to buy the table and chairs is really the only reason we need a car at all.

Everything else will be coming down in subsequent trips, or is easily loaded onto a golf cart from Belk's or Target or Publix.

Originally Posted by Jazuela

Also regarding the agent thing - I hate burdening our agent. He's been an absolute angel during this process, picked me up from the shuttle and drove me to the hotel, had his fiance pick me up at the hotel and bring me back to the shuttle when it was time to go, bent over backward to help us. And he's not even the listing agent. He's "just" the awesome gentleman who was our "host" during our Lifestyle Visit last September and we were so wowed by his patience and ability to answer all our weird questions, that we couldn't even consider using anyone else for our purchase.

Then he will receive part of the commission so I am sure would be happy to help with your closing needs. We closed remotely and our agent took care of everything for us all we had to do was sign.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by bagboy

Just a little FYI, Hertz has a car rental office at Spanish Springs town square, much closer to your new home. I've rented from them for one day on a couple of occasions and from what I remember the cost was on the low side.

I checked, but they're closed on Sundays and that would be the day we'd be returning it. Enterprise is open on Sundays. They're also around the same price as Enterprise - they're both TWICE the price that the same companies are at the airport, per day. Pretty insane but thankfully we'll only need it a short period of time so it'll still be cheaper than taking it from the airport for a whole week (plus the cost of one of us taking the shuttle both ways since we're not coming or going at the same time).

[Garywt]

We are closing on 3/5 through the mail and then arrive on 3/9 by driving down from Mass. We are setting up City Furniture to deliver on the 10th as well as hopefully having our golf cart delivered on Sunday. We have already set up electric and water/sewer as these need to be done ahead of time. The Villages supplied us with the info we needed. There are fees to have these items transferred into your name and if you wait, they could be shut off the day you close so get on that. On Monday we are having a water filter installed and we are meeting with the builder on Tuesday. We have already contacted a number of landscapers so our grass will get cut and bushes maintained. We are meeting with a few other vendors as well to set up future projects. We are only there for a week and not sure when we will be back. Going to be a busy week. Night one we will have air mattresses and camp chairs.

[Tom52]

We are closing on our new home Feb 22. We will be leaving on the 28th. We purchased two bar height stools for dining at the kitchen counter. We have also purchased bedroom furniture to be delivered before we leave, so we will have a place to sleep when we first arrive back here in a couple of months. We will buy the rest of the furniture at that time. We have a couple of folding chairs to use until we get more furniture. We will also wait till we move here before shopping for a golf cart.

We already contacted SECO Energy and set up our account including auto payment via our new checking account. We also arranged for a service for lawn mowing and trimming. We are hoping that everything else will survive till we return. Our main concerns are paying bills while we are away that we are unable to set up on autopay before we leave. We will not be forwarding mail to our northern address, so we will not be seeing these bills.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by Garywt

We are closing on 3/5 through the mail and then arrive on 3/9 by driving down from Mass. We are setting up City Furniture to deliver on the 10th as well as hopefully having our golf cart delivered on Sunday. We have already set up electric and water/sewer as these need to be done ahead of time. The Villages supplied us with the info we needed. There are fees to have these items transferred into your name and if you wait, they could be shut off the day you close so get on that. On Monday we are having a water filter installed and we are meeting with the builder on Tuesday. We have already contacted a number of landscapers so our grass will get cut and bushes maintained. We are meeting with a few other vendors as well to set up future projects. We are only there for a week and not sure when we will be back. Going to be a busy week. Night one we will have air mattresses and camp chairs.

Sounds like we're in similar situations. Biggest difference is that a lot of our furniture is coming with us on future trips, using our own pickup truck. And the closing will be our first day sleeping in our new home so the transfer of utilities needs to be done the same day.

[Garywt]

Originally Posted by Jazuela

Sounds like we're in similar situations. Biggest difference is that a lot of our furniture is coming with us on future trips, using our own pickup truck. And the closing will be our first day sleeping in our new home so the transfer of utilities needs to be done the same day.

We are keeping our house up north so no furniture is coming down. Our utilities will be in our name as of our closing date but you need to give them time to switch it over. The water dept told us we had until 2 the day before to submit the application and other info they needed. Good luck.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by Garywt

We are keeping our house up north so no furniture is coming down. Our utilities will be in our name as of our closing date but you need to give them time to switch it over. The water dept told us we had until 2 the day before to submit the application and other info they needed. Good luck.

Ah. There won't be any interruption of service. The water won't ever be turned off. Nor will the electricity. It'll just change ownership of responsibility.

[Garywt]

That is fine, my water company was going to charge $205. but did a credit check so the change over fee was $60. The electric co ran a credit check as well and the fee for them was $45. I know they don’t move quick enough to shut things off but The Villages required us to do it ahead of time.

[geofitz13]

Originally Posted by Garywt

We are closing on 3/5 through the mail and then arrive on 3/9 by driving down from Mass. .

Where in Mass? We are also coming down, from the Springfield area. We will be there April 1.

[graciegirl]

Welcome home, kids.

[Garywt]

Originally Posted by geofitz13

Where in Mass? We are also coming down, from the Springfield area. We will be there April 1.

North of Boston, Beverly area.

[queasy27]

It's more expensive, but as others have mentioned, you can schedule a private driver to pick one or both of you up at the airport, then get a rental car once you're here. I've used Vinny's car service before but that was a while ago. 352-205-6606

Look at me spending your money, but have you considered booking a hotel for your first one or two nights? Get settled in, arrange your rental car and have a comfortable home base while you're out shopping and probably getting a little lost/frazzled. There are 2-3 hotels close to Orange Blossom Gardens.

You might be able to find a few permanent furniture pieces for sale in the classifieds here with sellers who would be more flexible about pickup times. The thought of folding chairs and air mattresses makes my back ache in sympathy!

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by queasy27

It's more expensive, but as others have mentioned, you can schedule a private driver to pick one or both of you up at the airport, then get a rental car once you're here. I've used Vinny's car service before but that was a while ago. 352-205-6606

Look at me spending your money, but have you considered booking a hotel for your first one or two nights? Get settled in, arrange your rental car and have a comfortable home base while you're out shopping and probably getting a little lost/frazzled. There are 2-3 hotels close to Orange Blossom Gardens.

You might be able to find a few permanent furniture pieces for sale in the classifieds here with sellers who would be more flexible about pickup times. The thought of folding chairs and air mattresses makes my back ache in sympathy!

We're already booked for the shuttles, which is great because it gives us an hour and a half to relax after the airport and before we arrive. We have a ride to the hotel from the shuttle (or hubby will convince the golf cart place that he should be allowed to rent a day early even though it's the busy season and they don't have any available for ONE day early, hah!)

We're staying at the Holiday Inn on the 28th. We close on the 1st, but we're staying in the hotel that night too (I pushed, he relented). We have a golf cart reserved but we might just buy a used one if we can find one in the first couple of days there. We'll also be renting a car or small SUV for just one day, so we can get a dinette set in the house before hubby leaves on the 3rd to come home. I stay for three more days to unwind and get to know the neighborhood and the golf cart paths near our new home.

The air mattress is no big deal at all for us, we have a Sleep Number bed, and that's an air mattress. Incredibly comfy.

I plan on being a golf-cart commuter *primarily* so being able to find my way around in a golf cart before we make the actual final physical move in a few months is pretty important.