Tips for Opening Your Northern Michigan Cottage in Spring
Spring in Northern Michigan
Spring is here and although the snow has yet to leave, many seasonal homeowners in Northern Michigan are getting ready to start planning for “opening” day. If you are a Northern Michigan seasonal homeowner, you may already be familiar with the work it takes to reopen your cabin after the winter however, if you are new to this, there are many things you will need to consider. For example, where is your pump and what else will you need to do to get it ready for the summer?
Things to Consider when Opening Your Cottage
Do a Check of the Outside – before you start the process, begin by doing a perimeter check. Check the property and the exterior of the cottage for any damage caused by the weather or other issues. Make sure there are no downed power lines and that the roof and siding are all intact. If you unhook pipes on the exterior of your cottage, check these too.
Survey the Interior of the Cottage – make sure that there are no issues which may have occurred due to improper winterization of pipes. You will also want to check for any unwanted four-legged visitors who may have decided that your cottage was a great place to hole-up for the winter. Make sure to look up for any water damage as well.
Turn on the Power – it is always a good idea to just shut the power off for the winter if you have properly winterized. This will save on any electrical use which may otherwise occur.
Plug-in Appliances – make your rounds plugging in all the appliances you should have unplugged for the winter. Leave the water heater off at this time.
Get the Water Going – now that you know that everything else is ok, you can get started restarting the water system. You will likely want to install a new water filter at the pump. Be sure you check for leaks after the tank is full with water. It is now safe to turn on the water heater.
Other things to Consider – chores such as cleaning out the eaves troughs, any wood stoves and chimneys, checking the propane tank levels if you use propane and checking the smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are just a few of the other issues you will need to take care of.
Open the doors and air it out to replace any stale odors associated with being closed up and get ready to enjoy the summer. Opening your seasonal cottage in spring doesn’t have to be a painful process. If you close correctly in winter and take steps to insure you open correctly, you are sure to have a pleasant time without any major issues.
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