What should you do when closing down your holiday home for winter?
When closing up your beloved Holiday Home for the winter period, there are a few things to do that will hopefully ensure that it remains safe and secure, and also allows for a simple set up when you return in the spring.
So let’s start with the interior of your holiday home.
Remove anything of value! Either take it home with you or arrange for it to be stored with a reputable local storage company. This includes items like TV’s, Laptops and any electrical appliances that could be easily taken should your caravan be broken into. Also, never leave personal belongings such as jewellery or watches.
In the bedrooms, do not be tempted to leave beds made up. Take home all soft furnishings and bedding, or store them away in air tight vacuumed packed bags. This ensure that damp and mould are prevented over the cold winter season.
Empty and clean out your fridge and freezer, and make sure you leave the doors open to prevent mould. Also remove any food items from your cupboards that might attract mice, for example, food packaged in cardboard or paper packaging.
Moving through to your living area, it is always best to move any freestanding furniture away from the walls, and any sofa cushions on fixed furniture. This helps to prevent the items from going mouldy. If you can, remove the cushions and take them home with you to store in a warm, dry place.
When trying to ensure your curtains remain mould free, a handy tip would be to put them inside a black bin bag and then tie this up over the curtain rail to ensure that they are kept as dry as possible, and are not touching the walls. Blinds should also be opened fully to allow potential thieves to see inside the caravan, and most importantly, that it is empty. It is also a good idea to ensure that all the interior doors are kept open for this reason, as well as to encourage airflow throughout the holiday home.
Once everything has been removed or stored away, look around your holiday home for any gaps that may need to be blocked up to prevent future damage. Give your holiday home a thorough clean throughout with antibacterial cleaner, hoover around to ensure that there are no crumbs, and make sure all the bins are clear so that mice are not encouraged to take up residence whilst you are away.
When it comes to draining your holiday home down, it is always better to pay for a plumber to do this for you as they will ensure it is done properly and that your anti-freeze is topped up. This is also important for insurance purposes should you need to make a claim in the future as many insurance companies will not pay out if you cannot prove it has been drained down.
Moving on to the exterior of your holiday home, it is a good idea to have a general clean and tidy up around your caravan to ensure that grass and weeds are not growing too close to the underneath of your holiday home. Also, check that all the guttering and downpipes are in good working order.
And finally, some last minutes checks to ensure you are all set to go. Turn off your mains electric (you will normally find your box in the wardrobe in your master bedroom), Turn off the water tap underneath your caravan, then turn on all of your taps in your kitchen and bathroom to run them through. Also, ensure air vents are clear and that all the windows and doors are locked on your departure.
Then you should be good to go!