Safety & Privacy

Intermediate

8 min read 6 stepsMay 8, 2026Verified May 2026

How to Protect a Vacant Home in Winter

Plain-English guide for snowbird seniors on securing their northern home against frozen pipes, break-ins, and storm damage during a long winter away.

At a Glance

Prepare the Plumbing for Five Months Away

~48s

Start with the water. The standard snowbird approach is to shut the main water valve, drain the lines, and add antifreeze to the drain traps. Find the main valve, usually in the basement near the front wall of the house. Turn it clockwise until it stops. Open the highest faucet in the house and the lowest faucet to let air in and water drain out. Flush all toilets. Pour one cup of RV antifreeze, which is non-toxic and bright pink, into each sink drain, each shower drain, each tub drain, the dishwasher, and the washing machine. The antifreeze prevents the water in the traps from freezing and cracking the pipes. Turn off the water heater at the breaker panel or set it to vacation mode if it has a dial.

Warning

Never pour automotive antifreeze, which is green or orange, into household drains. It is poisonous and damages the septic system.

Set the Thermostat and Test the Heating System

~48s

Most insurance policies require that the home be kept at 55 degrees or higher during winter to prevent pipes in the exterior walls from freezing. Set the thermostat at 58 to give a small margin. If you have a smart thermostat from Ecobee, Nest, or Honeywell, install the manufacturer's app on your phone and confirm you can see the current temperature and adjust the setpoint remotely. Schedule a furnace tune-up in October before you leave. The HVAC technician will inspect the burner, replace the filter, check the carbon monoxide vent, and tell you whether the system is ready for unattended operation. Replace any drafty weather stripping around exterior doors. Open cabinet doors under sinks on exterior walls so warm air can reach the pipes.

Quick Tip

Sign up for a remote temperature alert through the thermostat's app. A drop below 50 degrees will send a text to your phone within minutes.

Install a Smart Water Shutoff and Leak Sensors

~53s

A smart water shutoff valve is the single best investment for a snowbird. Moen Flo and Phyn each sell a valve that installs on the main water line and uses water flow patterns to detect leaks. If a pipe bursts, the valve closes the line automatically within seconds, limiting damage to a few gallons rather than thousands. Installation requires a plumber and runs $400 to $700 total. Pair the valve with $20 wireless leak sensors from SimpliSafe, YoLink, or Govee placed under each sink, behind the washing machine, near the water heater, and around the dishwasher. The sensors send a phone alert if they touch water. Even if you decide to fully shut off the main valve, the sensors will catch a slow leak from a roof or a window during a freeze and thaw cycle.

Warning

Test every sensor before you leave by dipping it in a glass of water and confirming the phone alert arrives. A silent sensor in a closed house is no protection at all.

Set Up Security Cameras and Smart Lighting

~51s

A Ring or Nest doorbell at the front door, a Ring stick-up cam at the back door, and a smart plug on a living room lamp give you eyes and signals of life from 1,400 miles away. Each device connects to your home WiFi and to a phone app. The doorbell sends an alert if someone steps onto the porch. The back camera covers the rear approach. The smart plug runs a lamp on a schedule, like 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., which makes the house look occupied at dinner time. If your home WiFi router is old, consider replacing it with a mesh system from Eero, Google Nest WiFi, or TP-Link before you leave. A reliable WiFi connection is the foundation of every smart home feature, and a router that crashes after 30 days will black out your whole setup.

Quick Tip

Tell your neighbors what cameras you have installed. The cameras protect their homes too if a thief drives through the neighborhood.

Handle Mail, Trash, and the Exterior

~52s

A vacant home gives itself away through visible signs. Stop newspaper delivery by calling the paper. File a USPS Temporary Change of Address as covered in another guide so mail goes south with you. Cancel any package subscriptions that would arrive while you are gone. Pay a snow removal service to plow the driveway after every storm of three inches or more. A driveway buried in unplowed snow is a billboard advertising that no one is home. Pay the same service or a separate person to keep the front walk clear so emergency vehicles can reach the door. Drain the garden hose and disconnect it from the house. Bring patio furniture, grills, and yard ornaments inside the garage. Lock all windows and basement bulkheads, then test each lock by trying to lift the window from outside.

Warning

Do not post your travel plans on Facebook or Instagram. Burglars do read social media, and a public Florida vacation photo on day three confirms the home is empty.

Arrange a Trusted Check-In Person

~50s

The single most important step is to give a key to a trusted neighbor, family member, or paid property manager who will check on the house once or twice a week. A weekly walk-through catches problems before they become disasters. Give the check-in person your Florida phone number, your insurance agent's number, the alarm code, the WiFi password, the location of the main water valve, the location of the electrical panel, and the name of your preferred plumber and electrician. Pay the person a small stipend, $20 to $40 per visit, even if they are a friend. A paid arrangement creates accountability. Most professional property managers in snowbird states charge $50 to $100 per visit and provide a written report after each check, which is also good evidence for an insurance claim.

Quick Tip

Schedule a video call with the check-in person once a month. A live look at the kitchen and the basement is worth a thousand text messages.

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Leaving a Michigan or Ohio home for five months in the winter is a calculated risk. The two biggest threats are frozen pipes and break-ins. A pipe that freezes and bursts can dump 250 gallons of water an hour into a closed-up house, and the damage can run into six figures. A break-in at a clearly empty home, with mail piled up on the porch and no lights on at night, can clear out anything of value. The good news is that both threats are manageable with a checklist of preparations done in the weeks before you leave, a few inexpensive devices, and a trusted person who can check on the house once or twice a week while you are gone.

Insurance companies have strict rules about vacant homes. Most homeowner policies require that someone check on the home at least once every 72 hours during the winter, that the temperature be kept above 55 degrees, and that the water be shut off at the main valve if no one is around. Failing to follow the rules can void your coverage, which means that if a pipe bursts on day 90 of your trip, the insurance company can deny the claim entirely. Call your insurance agent before you leave and ask for the vacant home checklist in writing. Some companies sell a snowbird endorsement that loosens the rules in exchange for a small premium increase, which is worth the cost for most retirees.

The tech side of winter home protection has improved dramatically in the past five years. A $200 smart thermostat from Ecobee or Nest lets you check the temperature from your phone in Florida and adjust the setting if needed. A $30 water shutoff valve from Moen Flo or Phyn can detect a leak and close the main water line automatically. A $100 smart doorbell from Ring or Nest captures who is at the front door and alerts you if a stranger approaches. A $40 smart plug on a living room lamp can turn the light on and off on a schedule, making the home look occupied. Combine the tech with a trusted neighbor or property manager. And you can travel with confidence.

This guide walks you through the four big preparations: plumbing and HVAC, security and lighting, exterior and mail, and the human side of having a check-in person. Plan to spend two weekends on the full setup the first year. Future winters require only a refresh, since the smart devices and the systems stay in place.

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