For homeowners gone half the year
Snowbird Property Maintenance in Central Florida
You head north for half the year. The grass, the sprinklers and the hedges keep going without you. Jeff handles the work at your Florida home while you are gone, and you only have to make one call.
Your Florida Home Does Not Take the Summer Off
You lock the door, set the thermostat and drive north. For the next six months, the house sits through the hottest, wettest part of the Florida year with nobody there to notice anything.
The grass does not slow down. A sprinkler head breaks and waters the driveway for weeks. A limb comes down in a storm and stays where it fell. A small drip or a loose gutter turns into a bigger job because nobody saw it early. By the time you hear about it, you are in another state, trying to find someone who will return a call about a small job at your house.
The University of Florida guide to closing a seasonal home warns that Florida's environment makes mildew, storm damage and pests a real concern. Its checklist tells owners to arrange regular trimming and mowing before they go, and to have someone look at the house from time to time.
Jeff can handle that list. Jeff Of All Trades is one person who does the mowing, the repairs, the sprinkler work and the hauling himself, and he can check on the house every other week while you are gone. You do not need four companies and four phone numbers. You need one person to call.
What Jeff Does While You Are Gone
You choose what you need. Each of these has its own page with the details.
Home Checks
Every other week, Jeff personally walks through and checks the water connections and the sprinklers.
Lawn and Yard Care
Mowing, weed eating, hedges and tree trimming, so the yard does not give you away.
Sprinkler Care
Broken heads, leaking lines and timer changes on a system nobody is there to watch.
Home Repairs
The list you never got to. Tile, paint, flooring, doors and drywall, done before you are back.
Yard and Storm Cleanup
Limbs, debris and junk cleared and hauled away, instead of sitting in the yard until fall.
How to Get Started
There is no package to buy and no contract to figure out. It starts with a conversation.
Call or text Jeff
Tell him where the home is, when you leave and when you are coming back.
Walk the property
The easiest time is before you go, while you can show him the yard, the sprinklers and your list.
Get a free estimate
You get an honest price for the work you pick. Nothing starts until you say so.
Head north
Jeff takes care of what you agreed on. You have one number to call if something changes.
“I'd give Jeff 10 stars if it was possible. Hard worker, extremely fair pricing and goes above and beyond. I found my guy for all my needs!”
Chino D., Google review
Is This the Same as a Property Manager?
No, and it helps to know the difference before you call anyone. A property manager and a handyman solve different problems.
What Jeff does
- Checks on the house every other week
- Mows, trims and cleans up the yard
- Repairs sprinklers and adjusts timers
- Takes care of general repairs, flooring and painting
- Hauls off junk and debris
- Gives you a free estimate first
What Jeff does not do
- Rent out or lease your home
- Find tenants or collect rent
- Run an after-hours emergency line
If you rent your home out while you are gone, you can still have a separate manager for the renting and call Jeff for the work.
Why It Pays to Line This Up Early
It is easy to leave this until the last week. The University of Florida guide suggests starting about three weeks out, because a good close-up takes more than people expect. Our summer close-up checklist walks through it in order.
Calling early also gives you time to fix the small things first. If a sprinkler zone is already acting up or a door already sticks, it is far easier to handle while you are still here to show someone.
If you have already gone north, call anyway. Tell Jeff what you need and he will tell you straight what he can do.
Where Jeff Works
Jeff is based in Ocklawaha and works across Marion, Lake and Sumter counties. These town pages cover what is different about each area.
The Villages
How Jeff works alongside House Check and deed compliance.
Lady Lake
The 8-inch grass rule, and homes inside and outside The Villages.
Leesburg
Filling the gap between what your HOA covers and what it does not.
Ocala
Bigger lots and big oaks across Marion County.
Also serving
What to Have Ready When You Call
None of this is required, but it makes the first call short and the estimate more accurate.
- The address, and whether it is in a gated community
- The date you leave and the date you plan to be back
- What your community or association already takes care of
- A list of what you want done, even if it is rough
- Photos by text, if you are already out of state
- The best way to reach you while you are gone
Snowbird Property Maintenance Questions
He does the work at your Florida home during the months you live somewhere else: the yard, the sprinklers, repairs and cleanup. He can also personally check on the house every other week. You pick which of those you want.
It is easiest before you leave, so you can walk the property together. If you are already gone, call or text and tell Jeff what you need.
It depends on your yard, your home and what you want done, so Jeff gives a free estimate instead of a flat price. Reviewers often mention his fair pricing.
You pick the work. It can be one repair before you get back or yard work through the whole season.
Yes. The University of Florida guide says to have an air conditioning professional check the system about three weeks before you go. Line that up with an AC company.
Marion, Lake and Sumter counties, including The Villages, Lady Lake, Leesburg, Ocala, Ocklawaha, Belleview, Wildwood and more. If you are not sure, call and ask.
Set It Up Before You Head North
Free estimates, fair pricing and 18+ years of trade experience across Marion, Lake and Sumter counties.
Where this information comes from