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Leaving for the Holidays? A South Florida Home Checklist Before You Travel

A few hours of prep can keep a South Florida home safe and dry while you travel. Here is a practical checklist for the December trip: AC, water, security, and the details people forget.

By Nanci Gilbert, PA September 28, 2026
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In South Florida, a holiday trip means leaving a home that runs harder than most: the air conditioner works every day, the pool pumps on schedule, and the humidity never takes a vacation. A short prep routine before you lock the door protects the house, the appliances, and your peace of mind on the road.

Set the air conditioner, do not turn it off

A closed-up South Florida home left without cooling becomes a mold laboratory within days. Set the thermostat a few degrees warmer than usual, around 78 to 80, and leave it running. Change the filter before you go so the system does not work harder than it should. If your thermostat has an app, you can check the temperature from anywhere and spot a problem early.

Water, inside and out

Turn the water heater to vacation mode if you will be gone more than a few days. Consider shutting off the supply valve to the washing machine, a common source of slow leaks. Outside, set irrigation to skip while you are away or shut it off entirely, and clear any debris from the pool skimmers so the pump keeps circulating without straining.

Make the house look lived-in

Hold your mail, pause package deliveries, and ask a neighbor to pull into the driveway once or twice. Put a few interior lights on timers, and leave the security system armed and your cameras, if you have them, recording. A house that looks empty is the one that gets noticed; a house with small signs of life rarely does.

The perishables and the small stuff

Empty the fridge of anything that will turn, take out the trash, and unplug small appliances you will not use. Water the indoor plants before you leave or move them out of direct sun. Close the blinds that face the afternoon sun to keep the heat down, and give a trusted neighbor or house sitter the numbers of your HVAC and plumbing professionals in case something unexpected comes up.

How Nanci thinks about a protected home

Nanci Gilbert, PA has walked through too many South Florida homes after long absences to skip the basics. The same habits that protect a home while you travel protect it while it sits between showings, and she shares this checklist with every seller who lists through the holidays.

Nanci Gilbert, PA is a South Florida realtor who guides growing families, sellers, and buyers across Miami-Dade and Broward. Questions about this topic? She answers every message within one business day.