Long before you experience life in The Villages, you will want to gather up all kinds of things….don’t forget your own brain!
If you’re not familiar with renting a house via AirBnB or VRBO or any bed and breakfast place, be sure to always think of things that they “may not” have for your comfort. A few things to remember include:
- Don’t overpack. There are many stores inside the three town squares of The Villages (TV) including major brand name retailers as well as boutique stores.
- On the periphery of TV, there are any number of stores including Walmart, Lowes, BestBuy, etc as well as major chains of retailers including Belks, Beils, and many many more. I’m sure you can get your Starbuck fix nearby as well. Rt 441 to the Northeast is a mecca for major retailers
Lifestyle visit
If you are visiting for The Villages Lifestyle program, the houses that they put you up at are far better than a hotel, but also may be missing some items for your convenience. Those properties are typically stocked with pretty much everything you might need (linens, dishware, ironing board, etc). However, you still may want to look into these things in advance:
- Buying tickets for an event on the Villages Entertainment calendar
- Arranging for golf (the Lifestyle Program may come with a tee time to be scheduled)
Snowbird Rental
Before getting into all of the nuances of a monthly rental, even before you get to The Villages, consider doing some advance homework including:
- Buying tickets to major events that are on The Villages Entertainment calendar during your stay. Many big ticket events sell-out quickly well before the date.
- Subscribing to various online forums and resources. This can include creating an account at 1) Villages Entertainment for tickets, 2) Villages Rec & Parks, and 3) The daily Sun Press newspaper
Additionally, there are a number of items that are specific to The Villages lifestyle that are good things to consider bringing even for a few days. Check out Lucy’s suggested packing list <HERE>
