After selling a house to a lovely couple from out of state who look forward to retiring here in Sarasota in a few years, I rented it for them to a family from California who made the leap, sight-unseen to move to Southwest Florida.

I have been a sight-unseen mover since my husband and I made our first move together in the early 1990s. We packed the cars with what we needed and left our comfort zone, family, and friends to live in a town several states away where we knew no one. We didn’t even have a home pre-selected before venturing out there.

Since then, we’ve made eleven moves without a place to live or seeing a place we had chosen online, beforehand. And the online pick was for this last move back to Sarasota. Sometimes my husband went ahead of us to start his new job, secure a home, and send for us. Other times we moved on such short notice with a job transfer or offer that we had to go immediately with all our stuff, 2 kids and a dog to a hotel in our destination city, then look for a home.

Many people have moved this way, especially in the past two years. It’s an adventure that can be a little stressful yet invigorating. There are new sights, sounds, food, shopping, activities, and friends waiting to meet you.

When you make a move like this, having a plan is essential if you have time to make one. If not, enjoy the trip.

And don’t fret if the home you chose to rent is not the perfect house. Renting is temporary. Get to know your community. Take the attitude that you are on a working vacation and do the touristy things with gusto. Don’t get complacent and settled and miss out on the seasonal fun. Learn from the locals about tourist traffic patterns, the best restaurants with smaller lines, and where to best place to see the boat parade at Christmas is located.

So, I met this family from California in person today for the first time. They’re getting settled with new furniture, car registration and driver’s licenses, new jobs, activities for the kids, navigating the neighborhood and shopping centers, and school registration information. The great thing for them is they came in the summer when they could play tourist before sending the kids off to school.

Do you need to make a move quickly? Are you headed to Sarasota or Bradenton, FL? If you need some help with a place to live or navigating the area, don’t hesitate to contact me. I’m here to help.

Eileen Saunders, Realtor 662-404-0816