A simple seasonal checklist for closing up a lakeside property before winter settles in.
There is a particular quiet that settles over the lakes region in late October. The loons thin out, the maples drop the last of their color, and a lake house that hummed all summer stands suddenly still.
For seasonal homeowners, this is the moment that matters most. A thoughtful closing is what separates a property that opens effortlessly next spring from one that greets you with a frozen pipe, a damp basement, or a dock beaten by the first nor'easter.
Start with the water
Plumbing is the first thing to think about. Every line should be drained, every trap protected with non-toxic antifreeze, and the well pump shut down according to your system's specs. If you're not sure where every shutoff lives, that's exactly the kind of detail worth mapping before you need it.
Secure the exterior
Walk the property as if you were the wind. Take in the patio furniture, stack the dock sections high and dry, and clear the gutters one last time. Anything that can become a projectile in a storm should be stored or tied down.
Set the indoor climate
Thermostats should go to a winter-holding temperature — low enough to save energy, high enough to keep the interior above freezing. We like 50°F as a starting point, adjusted for each property's quirks.
Leave a paper trail
A short closing report — what was shut off, what was left running, who holds the key — turns next spring's opening from a mystery into a plan. We keep one on file for every home we steward.
If you'd rather not drive up to do it yourself, that's the work we love. A proper closing is quiet, unglamorous, and exactly the thing that lets your place wait patiently for you.
Need a hand with your lake property? We'd love to help.
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