First Things First 

Because most snowbird homes are small in scale, make a plan, then work the plan. Are you going to decorate the kitchen and living space? Bedroom/s? Bathroom/s? Front door? Patio, lanai or balcony? A huge impact on how much to do is related to how much will realistically fit into your vehicle to and from your destination. If you store your holiday items on site, how much will reasonably fit into the allotted space?

Next, consider who will be installing and removing the decorations? If it's you, that's ideal. If it's someone you hire or designate, then how much time will it take them to do it?

Are there any considerations that may damage the decorations? Will anything be unattended outdoors for periods of time? Can the decorations withstand the handling of your cleaning crew? Your guests? Children? Puppies? I quickly realized this season that our young pup was all too happy to chew up the seasonal items that our previous beloved senior dog had ignored.

At our rental condo, no one ever decorated it for the seasons, but it didn't matter to me because we didn't arrive until January.

During October the second year after we purchased our condo, I added special seasonal decorations. Well, I hadn't thought about the cleaning crew moving the items around to clean the glass table tops. And........... in the process the beautiful details of the festive faux evergreen arrangements were very obviously askew by the time I arrived in January to put them away for the season. Not the look I wanted our guests to see. Lesson learned. I reworked the items that could be made more fool proof and replaced the ones that would never stand up to any sort of airflow, movement or handling.

My Plan is the Same Every Year

My plan is the same every year. Lightly decorate the main living area, kitchen, bathrooms and that's it.

The balcony and front door are not on my list because:

1. The elements of the wind, rain, sun, salt and inclement weather would not be good for anything left outdoors on the balcony. Our HOA does not permit items to be attached to the exterior walls and throw pillows or knick knacks might fall off the patio table or a gust of wind will blow them to the next neighborhood. Live plants would not have anyone to take care of them, although I would do that if we had a caretaker to help with it.

2. A holiday wreath on the front door is lovely, but not from late October to January. The last thing I try to do is annoy my own and others walking past by "pushing the season" too soon.

The primary (and only) bedroom is also not on the list. I don't see the need to make every single space in our small condo explode with a theme of some sort. The bedroom is a respite, a sanctuary, a place to relax and rest. So, I don't decorate it for the seasons, but if you like a seasonally decorated bedroom, go for it. My plan isn't necessarily your plan.

Begin With The Basics, Finish With a Few Showstoppers

What are the very basics to decorate your snowbird rental or home? Let's start with the obvious. Here's a few ideas to add a festive touch:

Kitchen:

Hot pads, kitchen towels, soap dispensers, coffee cups, seasonal towels with ribbons displayed in a small basket

Bath:

Soap dispensers, hand towels

Living/Dining Area:

Seasonal puzzles, faux greenery arrangements, small knick knacks, coasters, festive round ornaments in a driftwood bowl, battery operated candles, decorative textured pillows, a soft throw blanket for the sofa or easy chair

A Few Showstoppers:

An extra special wreath or faux greenery arrangement, a local element such as a handmade Christmas tree made of starfish, local artwork in a frame, special garlands, a tall glass ornamental container with hard candy in it, lighting or a small Christmas tree. Autumn items include a beautiful glass pumpkin on the server buffet surrounded by shiny, sparkly elements from the craft store. There's many creative ways to be festive and much inspiration to be found in local retail stores and online

Parting Thoughts

My overall goal is to use color, texture and simple items to create a holiday feel that includes elements of Autumn as well as December holidays and last, but not least, New Year's Eve.

Remove and store items that will be replaced with your seasonal decor. Never pile on the seasonal items with the regular stuff. It's too much.

I make a special effort not to feature religious decorations in our rental because we want guests to feel welcome no matter what their beliefs are. An example is we have a nostalgic seasonal puzzle that features Golden Retrievers with a freshly harvested evergreen in the back of a vintage pick-up truck in a snowy country scene. It's just the right amount of hint of the season and because we are pet friendly, the pups add an emotional connection with our guests.

It's a good idea to minimize or entirely avoid large typography designs on decorative elements and/or overt references to cold weather. If your guests are at the beach to get away from snow, they really don't want to be blasted with "Let it Snow" messages on pillows, soap dispensers and hand towels. If your throw pillows are too much to look at all the time, they will get stuffed in the bottom of the closet or a drawer. I've been there. It's reality.

Have fun with your own ideas, there's no right or wrong answers. A little effort does go a long way to make your snowbird home extra memorable, fun and festive.