23 Jul Five Steps to Close Your Summer Home

Many Americans end the summer by closing up their vacation home. Leaving a vacation home is a bittersweet feeling for most people. There are a number of things that have to be done in order to prepare your vacation. Below are some of the things that you will need to do before closing up your home for the winter:

Empty Out Your Refrigerator

Your cupboards and refrigerator will need to be emptied out before you leave your home. If a canned good freezes up, then it can potentially burst. Any food that is kept out can attract critters.

Make Sure All Appliances Are Unplugged

Telephones, television and other appliances will need to be unplugged. Unplugging appliances helps guard against lighting strikes. You will need to turn all of the circuit breakers off inside of the home also. However, you will need to keep the alarms on. If your home has a gas supply, then you will need to turn it off before leaving.

Take Out All Of The Garbage

You will need to take out of all of the garbage before you leave your vacation home. Garbage can attract pests.

Put Away Outdoor Furniture

If you have grills, outdoor furniture or other accessories, then you will need put them away. You can put them in your garage or shed. Make sure that you lock the garage door and/or shed also.

Lock All Of The Doors And Windows

This is one of the most important things that you can do before you close up your summer home. Many summer vacation homes are robbed during the winter months because they are vacant. Additionally, having an alarm system installed inside of your home is a good idea. Your vacation home is less likely to get broken into if there is an alarm system inside of it.

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