10 costly things people forget when closing the cottage
Updated
It’s the last Sunday in October, the car is packed and you want to beat the traffic on the 10. You lock the door sure you’ve done everything — and it’s in April that you find out what slipped.
Most spring surprises don’t come from a big defect. They come from one small step skipped at closing. Here are the ten that come up most often.
The ten things people forget, and what to do instead
1. The garden hose still attached to the outdoor tap
An attached hose keeps water in the tap and in the section of pipe that runs through the wall. Disconnect it, drain it and put it away. Close the indoor valve that feeds the outdoor tap, then open the tap outside so the line can drain.
2. Not knowing where the main shut-off is — or never having turned it
A valve that hasn’t moved in years can be stiff, or no longer close all the way. Find it, tag it, and turn it once each fall. If it resists or leaks at the stem, don’t force it: that’s a job for a plumber.
3. Draining the water heater without cutting its power
An electric water heater left powered once it’s empty can burn out its elements. For a gas or propane unit, follow the manufacturer’s instructions. If in doubt, leave draining the water heater to an RBQ-licensed plumber.
4. Forgetting the traps and toilets
If the house won’t be heated over the winter, water left in sink, shower and floor-drain traps and in the toilets can freeze and crack the porcelain or the drain. They get antifreeze made for plumbing — never automotive antifreeze. If the house stays heated, talk this step over with your plumber.
5. Leaving the well pump powered
On a well, the pump keeps feeding the system as long as it has power. If the cottage is closed and the plumbing drained, the pump and pressure tank need to be powered down and drained the way your plumber or installer recommends.
6. Turning the heat down “as low as it goes”
If you keep the cottage heated, the setting matters. The thermostat measures the room it’s in; the basement and the cabinets against the north wall run colder. Use the setting your plumber or insurer recommends, not the unit’s minimum.
7. Appliances that hold water
Washer, dishwasher, ice maker, fridge filter: each keeps a little water in a pump or hose. Close their supply valves and follow the manufacturer’s winterizing guide. Prop the door of an unplugged fridge open to avoid smells.
8. Food and garbage
A box of cereal in the cupboard, a bag of birdseed in the shed, a recycling bin that wasn’t rinsed: that’s an invitation for mice. Clear the pantry of anything not in a rigid, sealed container, and take the garbage out before you leave.
9. Gutters full of leaves
Around Mount Sutton and Pinnacle, the hardwoods fill gutters in October. A clogged gutter overflows in the fall rain, then ice settles in at the first thaw. Clean them once the leaves are down — or have it done if the ladder is tall.
10. Fuel, snow clearing and keys
Three calls people put off:
- Fuel: confirm automatic propane or oil delivery, and that the truck will be able to get in.
- Snow clearing: book a contractor for the driveway, especially if it’s steep.
- Keys and instructions: who can get in if something goes wrong, and where are the valve, the panel and the plumber’s number?
Why these slips cost more at a Townships cottage
Freeze and thaw take turns. Winter in the Eastern Townships isn’t one long cold spell: mild days and cold snaps follow each other. A small amount of forgotten water freezes, thaws and freezes again.
Cottages were often added onto. Plenty of places in Sutton, Dunham or Potton started out as three-season cottages. Pipes still run through crawl spaces or thinly insulated exterior walls.
Heat depends on a chain. Power, fuel, thermostat, access for the delivery truck: one weak link is enough for the house to cool down, and nobody is there to see it.
Small animals look for shelter. In the fall, mice and squirrels move in wherever they find warmth and food.
What you can do, and what belongs to a plumber
What an owner can do:
- Disconnect hoses, then close and drain the outdoor taps.
- Find and label the main shut-off, and check that it turns.
- Clear the pantry, take out the garbage, shut off the appliances.
- Clean the gutters you can reach safely from the ground or a short ladder.
- Confirm fuel, snow clearing and your contact list.
What belongs to an RBQ-licensed contractor:
- Fully draining the plumbing, the water heater and the well tank.
- Repairing a valve that’s stiff or leaking.
- Installing frost-free outdoor taps or heat cable.
- Assessing backup heat or a system you’re unsure about.
You can check a contractor’s licence in the Régie du bâtiment du Québec registry.
In an empty house, how long before anyone notices?
A closing mistake doesn’t show up the next day. It shows up at the first deep cold, the first thaw, or the first time someone opens the door. If nobody stops by before spring, the water from a split pipe or a family of mice has the whole winter.
How often someone stops by sets the maximum length of any problem. Many insurance policies also set specific conditions for a home left empty in winter. Those conditions vary from one insurer to the next: ask your broker what applies to your cottage before you leave.
What we look at on a visit
Every visit, we check that the main shut-off is in the position agreed with you, look at the toilets (bowl level, running water, antifreeze present if the house is winterized), read the propane or oil tank gauge, look at the gutters and downspouts from the ground, check for mouse droppings along baseboards and in cupboards, and note the state of the driveway and snow clearing. Every finding is photographed and time-stamped in the report.
If something’s off, we call you the same day, with photos. If needed, we meet an RBQ-licensed plumber on site and document the work. For the closing itself, see what’s included in the fall closing.