Professional Muskoka Cottage Closing Saves You Money and Time

As a seasonal property owner, you know that there is no substitute for being there, in person, to tend to your cottage maintenance needs.

Yet, over the last year and a half, you may have experienced extremely limited (or even zero) access to your seasonal cottage. Now the holidays are upon us and you are tasked with navigating a lengthy to-do list along with work, family life and holiday preparations.

If ever there was a year to consider investing in a professional cottage closing service, 2021 would be it! Find out what is included in our Gravenhurst cottage closing services!

What Is Included In Our Gravenhurst Cottage Closing Service?

Our professional cottage closing service thoroughly addresses all of the ins and outs (literally) of preparing your summer cottage to weather the notorious Canadian winter season. 

Inside Your Cottage:

• Empty, clean and defrost your refrigerator and freezer.
• Clear the house of all perishable food items and supplies.
• Power off all appliances individually and at the main power source (as applicable).
• Clean and service your hot water heater and apply leak-proofing.
• Drain all plumbing pipes and turn off the main water supply.
• Clean and service your sump pump and install a backup sump or secondary power source.
• Lower the HVAC thermostat to 10 Celsius or power down the HVAC system.
• Examine the entire interior premises and make additional recommendations as needed.

Outside your cottage:

• Inspect and clean your roof, gutters and downspouts (as applicable).
• Clear away potentially flammable debris to reduce risk of winter fires.
• Remove and securely store all seasonal furniture or furnishings, docks, equipment, gear, et al.
• Examine the entire exterior including garages, outbuildings, roofing, vents and sheds and apply pest/wildlife-proofing and weatherproofing as may be needed.
• Check and drain the water treatment/conditioning system (as applicable).
• Inspect and drain the sewer pump and/or septic system (as applicable).
• Add non-toxic antifreeze to all drains and traps as needed.

If you have additional summer cottage closing needs beyond the basic services just listed, we are happy to talk with you about adding those to your cottage closing service.

Does Your Seasonal Cottage Have a Standby Generator?

Over our 76 years to date servicing our customers' seasonal cottage closing needs, we have learned that no two summer cottages are exactly alike.

Some cottages are quite rustic and simple while others come equipped with all the latest technology.

Where does your seasonal property fit in?

What we are asking is, how comfortable do you feel leaving your investment relatively unattended for an extended period of time while winter rages? After all, even if you leave your cottage power on during the winter, what will happen if there is a power outage?

More and more, we are telling our professional cottage closing customers about the one cottage addition that could ease your seasonal concerns on multiple fronts - both those you can name and those you could never anticipate.

That one addition is a standby generator.

When you add a standby generator to your seasonal property, you add the capability for year-round temperature control, remote security monitoring, backup power for your sump pump, sewer pump and septic system and so much more.

One perk many seasonal cottage owners don't anticipate is reductions on seasonal cottage insurance once they install a standby generator. With the reduced claims risk a standby generator can provide often comes reduced insurance premiums for future years.

Selecting a standby generator to protect your seasonal cottage investment starts with calculating your annual backup power needs.

In other words, depending on your preferences, budget and power needs, you can select a generator that simply powers the basics like your home security system or a generator that keeps you from even realizing a power outage has occurred!

Today's standby generators are as customizable as a generator can get. Your Gravenhurst service technician can walk you through an easy power calculation tool to determine what level of standby generator power capacity your cottage requires.

Is Your Cottage Equipped with Sump and Sewer Alarms?

Nothing spoils the anticipation of the spring cottage opening season like extensive water damage.

This is why the second value-added seasonal cottage addition we strongly recommend is sump and sewer alarms.

From basic models to alarms with all the latest bells and whistles, sump and sewer alarms also carry the potential to lower your seasonal cottage insurance premiums!

Many of our recommended models include auxiliary connections to wire into your cottage security system, enabling you to monitor nearly every aspect of your seasonal property remotely.

A sewer and sump alarm includes sensors to monitor floor water levels, puddles, low basement temperatures and more value-added notifications.

Is It Time to Winterize Your Seasonal Cottage?

The global pandemic has changed how many seasonal cottage owners view cottage closing season.

It is one thing to wait out the winter not knowing how your cottage investment fared during the seasonal storms. It is quite another to be away for a year or more!

Winterizing your seasonal cottage to serve as a year-round dwelling is actually easier than you might think.

Ask your Gravenhurst service technician about adding insulation, upgrading doors and windows, protecting plumbing pipes, installing a backup standby generator and other upgrades to protect your cottage.

Let Gravenhurst Plumbing, Heating and Electric Simplify Your Cottage Closing Process

After such a challenging and unpredictable year, why not treat yourself to a professional cottage closing?

Why choose us? We have three quarters of a century's worth of experience with closing cottages and doing it right the first time.

Reach out with questions and to get a free quote for your professional cottage closing service.

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