The Best Cabin Closing Checklist

Brr, it’s getting cold out there. It’s time to start thinking about closing up the cabin, cottage, boat house, and anything else that you consider “summer only”. Nothing is worse than leaving the cabin and realizing you forgot some important details. We have created a checklist to ensure that doesn’t happen. Check it out below. You only have a few weeks left until we leave summer 2021 behind, so best to start planning now.

Closing Cabin Checklist

Interior

Kitchen Cabinets and Fridge

Remove all the food and perishable items first, and store the items that need refrigeration in a cooler for now (or throw them out if not to be used). It’s a waste of electricity to keep that fridge or freezer running throughout the winter, so defrost and drain them. Don’t forget to unplug them before you leave, too. Wash any dishes and store them away so they are ready next spring. The more work you do now, the fewer needs to be done in the spring.

Furniture

Remove all the sheets and wrap the sofas, mattresses, chairs and any other fabric furniture in plastic. Coming back next spring to find rodents have made a home inside your furniture will ruin your day.

Plumbing

It gets freezing during the winter, so make sure that if your water pipes aren’t properly insulated, you prepare them for winter. Some people opt to use an antifreeze agent in their pipes such as this one. This should also be the time that you inspect your plumbing to make sure there aren’t any cracks of leaks that will burst during the winter. Coming back to a cabin full of water will cost you thousands of dollars in repair.

Exterior

Windows

If you have any broken windows or damaged screens, replace them before you leave. Broken windows will allow bugs and vermin to enter the cabin during your absence.

Watercraft

Boats, floaties and anything else meant for the lake should be properly stored away. Need a great boat storage checklist? We have one here for you. Get everything under cover to prevent the rain and snow from rusting them out.

Patio Furniture

Time to store away the deck chairs and tables. Put them in the shed and if you don’t have any more room, store them with North Shore Mini Storage. Just make sure you thoroughly clean all items before storage to keep them in the best condition for next spring. This all goes for all outdoor tools such as shovels and lawn mowers.

Final Check

Unplug all appliances and take any small valuable electronics with you (computers).
Do a final walk around. Check the cabin once more for anything you missed.
Take all the garbage with you
Lock EVERYTHING.

That’s it, your cabin or cottage should be good for the winter now and ready for your return. Need storage for your cabin or cottage? We have you covered.

sweda

Mike Olsen

18:58 16 Oct 19

This is inexpensive storage that operates 100% as advertised - they do not offer 24/7 access and do not charge 24/7 access pricing. They are incredibly responsive to requests to unlock doors and provide access. It is not fancy but if you need a clean, dry place to store your stuff, you can't beat these guys. Don't expect bells and/or whistles but you also won't be paying for them.

Dave Shirlaw

01:54 10 Jun 19

Have to phone to have buildings unlocked. Annoying.

megan chow

23:06 21 May 19

sara ~

01:04 25 Sep 18

Prices are 1/2 the price of other storage units but it shuts down (locked gates) from 10 am - 6 pm except if you have the enormous ground level outside facing units. Those hours are impossible. The technology getting items up to the second story is an actual forklift thats made stationary. You balance your items up the forklift (and you raise the wooden pallet up yourself) Then you must walk up stairs and hope their is a dolly available to wind precariously around tiny turning hallways. Budget carpentry and ancient carpet in the units. The trolleys sound and feel like their from 1980's and are either coached to disobey or they keep their own counsel. They say its secure but I had a neighbor pick something up and they weren't even asked for permission. I explicitly stated only I was to have access. They said they do not let it happen. The locks are your own, but the flip closure is attached by 3/4 wood screws easily and possibly quite quietly could be opened and emptied with no one batting an eye. A kid could detach it with anything. They have "24 hour security" which means a guy lives on site. Does he/she have CCTV access? Probably not, nor would you want that job. Are there motion sensors? Not likely as sometimes the lights won't turn on and finding a switch in the straggly wandering corridors is impossible. They do not offer insurance. You have to sign forms saying all the things you will and won't do, but they are not liable if anything happens: theft, fire, water, vandals, pests etcSo despite all those complaints, its still 4/5 only because of the prices.