Closing up the beach home for the Season

So we found your perfect beach home, negotiated a great price, got you through the inspections, and got you through closing.  You now own your perfect beach home and have spent the season thoroughly making memories.  It’s time to pack it up and head back home to dream of next years beach adventures. So do you just shut the lights off and lock the front door and hope for the best?  If this is your plan you may sadly walk in next season to a terrible mess at best or catastrophic damage at the worst.  Spending the time properly closing up the beach home for the season will pay off ten fold when you return next season to the home you know and love.

This is your first vacation home and you are not sure where to start.  We have found that having a checklist of things to do not only speeds up the process it also helps you methodically  remember all the steps in closing up the beach home for the season.  We have come up with this list of common things that you can do to build your list for closing up the beach home for the season.  You can add to it as you see fit but we feel this gives a good general outline of what needs to be done.   Let’s start with the outside:

Exterior Prep

• Take down the porch swings, hammocks, flags and any hanging plants that may be on porches or decks.  The winds in the off season get heavy and not securing anything dangling from a ceiling could lead to disaster.
• Bring in all exterior furniture, cushions and any lawn decorations that are not properly secured.  Bringing in the furnishings and cushions will prolong the life of these items it also prevents them from banging around in the wind.
• Clean up all the beach chairs, boogie boards, kayaks, paddle boards, bikes, and toys.  Have a safe and secure place to secure them. If not secured they have a tendency to disappear in the off season.
• Unscrew all the outside hoses and store them for the winter.  A hose hooked up to a hose bib can freeze and damage the hose bib.  It’s a 10 second job that can save you hundreds in plumbing repair cost
• Winterize the outside showers.  During the home inspection most of the inspectors will show you where to cut off the water supply to the outside showers.  Once the water supply is cut off go out to the shower and take the shower head off and store it for the season.  Also there is usually a small drain plug on the bottom of the shower controls.  Take the plug out and leave it out for the season. (don’t forget where you stored it)  Open up the faucet valves so the water can drain out.
• Check to make sure the trash cans are secured outside.  They have a tendency to blow away if not properly secured.
• If you bought some of the semi tropical plants that are sold in the area properly wrap them up for the winter.
• Store or secure the barbecue grill.  They have a tendency to roll around in the wind and can get damaged or damage something else.
• Take a look around the exterior of the house.  Look for loose siding, trim, or shingles.  If you notice anything schedule a repair asap.  A small repair can become a huge problem if not attended to.
  

  Interior Prep

• Remove any food in the pantry that is not in a secure container.  If mice get in there while you are away they will have a field day.

• Empty refrigerator, unplug it and prop it open.  This helps to keep it from getting musty inside
• Empty out all of the trash bins in the house.
• Unplug any small appliances that may be get damage from a power surge.   Small appliances may be damaged if the power goes out and then comes back on.
• Set the thermostat to vacation mode.  You need the AC to keep the humidity down and the heat to make sure nothing freezes in the house.  The AC can be set high to conserve electricity.  Somewhere around 80 will be fine.  The heat can be set relatively low as well to conserve electricity.  Anywhere around 55 should be sufficient.
• Turn off the water to the home and open up the faucets to get as much water to drain as possible.  Leave the faucets open to allow the water in the pipes to evaporate.  If by some reason the power goes out and the pipes freeze the damage will be limited to a small section.
• Turn off the hot water heater
• Make sure all windows and doors are locked and the shades are pulled.
• Set out a few mouse and ant traps.
• Identify a company or neighbor who can periodically check in on the house.  Always a good idea to have an eye on things.
• Turn on any monitoring you have on the home.  Temperature alarms, security cameras, security systems, water monitors etc.  are a good investment to give you piece of mind that all systems are as they should be.

Following this checklist for closing up the beach house will help you to have a more care free experience when you return.  In addition to these basic chores you can add some more customized services.  Some things like find a reliable cleaning service to come in before you return, find an HVAC company to set you up on a yearly service plan, find a landscaping company to keep things trimmed,  and hiring a house monitoring service will enhance your level of enjoyment.  If you need any suggestions on any of these home ownership tips we are always here to help.