5 Steps to Prepare Your Recreational Property for the Off-Season

 Fall has begun and with it comes the promise of rain and wind and storms on the west coast. Just like you should clean your gutters, unhook your hoses and put away the patio furniture at your home, you should take some time to prepare your recreational and remote properties for the fall and winter seasons.

1. Water - if you are not going to be using your property over the winter your water supply should be properly shut down. Turn off at the source, drain the hot water tank, and leave both indoor and outdoor taps open. 

2. Exterior tidy up - make sure all the loose items from summer, such as chairs, tables, planters, tools, etc are put away in a secure place. Winter weather can wreck these items, and winter storms can send them flying. If you have to leave canoes/kayaks or boats outside, make sure they are turned upside down so they can’t fill with water and that they are secured to something so they can’t blow about.

3. Interior – Clean out the fridge, and make sure that food stuffs are either well packaged, stored somewhere else or thrown out. Mice love a winter meal! Putting linens, towels, dishcloths, etc somewhere extra dry will help keep mould from growing on damp fabrics. Consider a moisture absorber container (no damp, damp rid, dri-z-air), especially on the coast or near water.

4. Lock up - make sure the property is closed up properly. Windows and doors should be latched so wind doesn't blow them open and so that critters can't get in. As an added security measure, and especially in wooded areas where debris and branches may come down, consider boarding up the windows.

5. Trees, shrubs, etc - now is a good time to prune any dead branches or long/heavy branches that are getting too close to buildings or look like they will block a driveway. These can come down during winter storms and do a lot of damage with no one around to clean up. Better to deal with it now.

Plus a bonus for those properties with docks:

6. Docks - make sure the surface is "gripped" or cleaned so that if someone needs to use the docks they won't slip on the slick surface from all the winter moisture. This will also deter mould build-up over the winter.

A small amount of time spent shutting down, cleaning up and locking up will save time and possibly money come spring. Time to get it done before the rain and colder weather come!

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