It’s that time of year for some of us to close down our cottages for the winter. Closing up a cottage is no quick task and requires a lot of cleaning, inside and out. If your cottage is not winterized, we cannot stress enough how important it is properly close it in the winter to protect the cottage from broken pipes, pests, and wasted energy. Here are our top tips for closing down the cottage inside and out.
 
Inside

1. Empty the fridge and freezer and disinfect thoroughly. Leave both doors open throughout the winter to allow airflow and to avoid mildew.
2. Turn off the water that runs into the toilets. Empty toilets of all water and dry the bowls and the tanks. Pour anti-freeze into the bowls and in the tanks. Cover the toilet bowls with a piece of saran wrap.
3. Pour anti-freeze down all sinks, drains and in the washing machine.
4. Place all bed linens into drawers. Put duvets and pillows into garbage bags and leave them on the mattresses. If you’d like, you can also cover the mattress in plastic sheets to protect them from any mice.
5. Take pictures, signs, and clocks off the walls.
6. Drain the water heater and water pump. Open all the taps inside and outside.
7. Set mice trap throughout the cottage.
8. Disconnect all appliances and shut off all breakers at the electrical panel. 

1. Board up any screened-in porches.
2. Stack canoes, kayaks, and paddleboards on a rack and chain them up or you can place them underneath the cottage. Lock up your motorized boats and lock the motors in the cottage or shed.
3. Clean your barbeque and disconnect it from the propane tank. Move both the BBQ, propane tank and any outdoor furniture into the cottage.
4. Store your lawnmower and other power devices in a locked shed or move them into the cottage as well. Place them on a towel or rug in case they leak or still have dirt on them.
5. Take all garbage to the dump before you leave.
6. Clean out the eaves troughs and sweep the roof of leaves.
7. Disconnect the dock and store all the pieces. Some people are able to store their pieces on the dock others store them underneath their cottages. Choose whatever one works best for you.   

Each cottage is a little bit different and you might find that there are more things you need to do to ready your property for winter. But once everything is done, the water tanks are empty and the electricity is off, lock all the doors, and windows. That’s the end of another great season!
 
At Knowledge Broker, our goal is to create an open-source of information for all our clients. We want to ensure that, at the end of the day, they get exactly what they want and what they need. If you know someone who could use our help or services please put them in touch with us or send us their details using the contact information below. And before you go, click here to take the Knowledge Broker Quiz and see exactly what we can do for you!

JOSHUA CAMPBELL (@knowledgebrkr)
Real Estate Broker
Coldwell Banker The Real Estate Centre, Brokerage
joshua@knowledgebroker.ca
249 Avenue Road • Newmarket, ON L3Y 1N8
289.231.0001