Getting a Seasonal Florida Home Ready Before You Arrive
Many homes and condos from Miami to Jupiter sit empty through the hot, wet months and fill again in late fall. Summer is hard on a closed house: months of humidity, heavy rain, and a yard that does not stop growing. A visit before you arrive turns the first week from a repair list into a vacation.
Outside
- Pressure wash the entry, walkways, driveway and patio. Algae builds up over the rainy season and gets slippery.
- Catch up the yard: mowing, edging, hedges, weeds, fallen palm fronds.
- Check fence panels, gates and latches after storm season.
- Look at exterior paint and caulk around windows and doors for cracks or peeling.
- Bring patio furniture back out and check it for rust and loose hardware.
Inside
- Walk every room and look at ceilings and the tops of walls for new stains.
- Open closets and cabinets. A musty smell is the first sign of a humidity problem.
- Open and close every door and window. Swollen doors are common after summer.
- Check baseboards near exterior doors and in bathrooms for swelling.
- Replace the AC filter and wipe the vents.
- Look at the caulk in showers and around sinks.
- Test blinds, shades and sliding door tracks.
Small jobs worth doing before you land
- Touch-up paint on scuffed walls and trim
- Rehanging or adjusting doors that stick
- Recaulking tubs and showers
- Assembling furniture that was delivered while you were away
- Mounting the TV or shelves you have been meaning to put up
What needs a different call
- An AC that is not cooling or is dripping: a licensed AC contractor.
- Anything with the water heater, valves or drains: a licensed plumber.
- Stains, damp walls or mold: our sister company DryMiami.
Condos
If your home is in a building, tell us the work hours, elevator rules and anything the management office requires from outside workers. It is easier to arrange before the season, when every building is busy.
Before you leave again
The same visit in reverse is worth planning for spring: furniture stored, yard on a schedule, and someone checking the house after storms.
Send us your address, your arrival date and what you would like checked, and we will reply with one written quote.
Rather have someone do it?
Send us your list with a few photos and get one written quote for all of it.
