Heading South for the Winter? CHECK THESE 3 THINGS WHEN YOU ARRIVE HOME
October is a busy month at Kimberly-Vincent because it marks the start of the season for snowbirds to fly back to Florida for the winter. We love seeing all of our clients arrive home, and helping people who are new to our tropical paradise find their dream getaways is one of our favorite things about fall. Of course, as wonderful as it is to own a second home you can escape to when temperatures start to drop up north, it does come with a bit of additional responsibility. If you’re arriving home this month, check on these three things to ensure your place is in tiptop shape — or give us a call before you land to have our home watch team check them for you!
APPLIANCES AND FIXTURES
Take a few minutes when you first get home to make sure all your appliances are in working order and your electricity and plumbing don’t have any issues. Replace smoke detector batteries, turn the A/C on and off, make sure your appliance clocks are correct (if not, reset the breaker), and look for leaks around your hot water heater, sinks, and toilets. If your home has a pool or hot tub, it’s vital you get it up and running. Doing simple tasks like cleaning the filter basket, switching on the filtration and circulation system, and topping off the water can clue you in to potential problems — and ensure it’s pristine when you’re ready to dive in. If you want to swim right away, have a pool service do the legwork before you arrive. If you’d like to save the hassle of taking these steps yourself, give Kimberly-Vincent a call today at 239-444- 8298. We’d be happy to take care of it for you! THE POOL OR HOT TUB Though the name might lead you to believe differently, Dia de los Muertos is a joyous time. If you visit Mexico during the holiday, the air is filled with music, and the streets are full of dancing and color. Instead of a sorrowful mourning of the dead, it is a vibrant, joyous celebration of life. Intricate altar displays, called ofrendas, honor the spirits of relatives who’ve passed. Families fill them with photographs and the relatives’ favorite food and drinks. It’s believed that during Dia de los Muertos, the boundary between the living and the dead is lifted, and for one night only, spirits come back to visit and enjoy what their families have set out for them. Today, the multiday celebration takes place throughout Central and North America. As tiny Batmans and Skywalkers add the final adjustments to their costumes, other families clean their homes and prepare to honor the spirits of their loved ones. And in today's beautiful blend of cultures, many families celebrate both holidays. FULL OF LIFE
APPEARANCE INSIDE AND OUT
When you arrive at your house or condo, make sure you walk around and through the entire home before settling in. Look for things like broken windows, damaged siding or shingles, and misplaced items that could indicate a break-in or storm damage needing repair. The sooner you discover a problem, the sooner you can address it.
DIA DE LOS MUERTOS A Celebration of Life
Despite the common misconception, Dia de los Muertos is not an offshoot of Halloween. While the two holidays often happen simultaneously, Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a Mexican holiday that originated with the indigenous people of Central America, including the Aztec and Mayan civilizations. Each year, they gathered and gave offerings to their dead. When the Spaniards came to Mexico, they fused the indigenous celebrations with their traditions of All Saints’ Day (Nov. 1) and All Souls’ Day (Nov. 2).
ANCIENT BEGINNINGS
Ancient Mesoamerican civilizations viewed death as a beginning rather than an end. This was likely tied to agricultural practices and the seasons, with crops dying in the winter and being reborn in the spring. Dia de los Muertos evolved from those roots and is now observed throughout Mexico and the United States. It’s a time of remembering your loved ones by celebrating their lives.
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