I've done this 3 times in my 8 year career so far. I pretty much leave every job this way. I like to take a few months between jobs to do my own thing and take a break.

If you are financially stable enough and are in a spot in your career where you don't think you'll need to worry about getting another job too much. DO IT. Looking back at the last 8 years, those periods off are the periods I remember the most.

One time I had a tougher time finding a job (but I was also only a little over a year into my career). The other times I haven't had a problem. One time my old company hired me back with a promotion/raise. Most recently, I did some VERY easy part time contract work for about 6 months. I think these breaks are becoming much more common and I don't think it impacts my resume too much.

I wish there was a way to get a new job with a starting date 3-6 months in the future. That would be the ideal situation.