The Snowbird's Plumbing Checklist for Closing Up a Marco Island Home

Marco Island's median resident age is 66, and more than half of the island's housing sits vacant part of the year — most of it second homes owned by people who split their time between here and somewhere colder. If that's you, your plumbing needs a different kind of attention than a home that's occupied year-round.

Before you leave

Shut off the main water valve if you won't have anyone checking the property while you're away — it's the single biggest thing you can do to prevent a small leak from becoming a flooded home. Check your water heater connections and any outdoor fittings for early corrosion; Marco Island sits within the most aggressive coastal-corrosivity band in Florida, and a fitting that's starting to fail is easier to catch before months of unattended pressure make it worse.

While you're away

If you can arrange for someone to check the property periodically, that's worth it — a drip caught in week two is a repair, and a drip caught in month five can be a floor replacement.

Before you come back

Have your plumbing inspected before you turn everything back on and settle in — shut-off valves, water heater, and any fixtures that sat unused for months. It's a lot easier to fix a problem before you're using the house than to discover it mid-shower.