winter cleaning Archives

A Checklist for Closing up Your Lake Cabin for Winter

Posted on November 20, 2023November 20, 2023 Staff

Article written by LakeHomes.com intern Sarah Wright.

With sweet summertime behind us, winter is fast approaching.

For those lake property owners who will be leaving their homes unoccupied during the off-season, be sure you check off all the items on this checklist before closing up your lake cabin for winter.

Inside:

Turn off your water heater.
Throw away all perishables.
Unplug all of your appliances.
Check your fireplace—make sure there are no places where animals can find an entry or where cold air can enter.
Exposed pipes can become frozen pipes, so insulate pipes that are in unheated parts of the house and open cabinets to allow warmer air to circulate around the plumbing.
Set your thermostat no lower than 55 degrees Fahrenheit for both day and night periods.
Cover your furniture to prevent sun damage.
Make sure all windows and doors are completely closed.

Outside:

Photo by Robin Jonathan Deutsch on Unsplash

Outdoor equipment and furniture should be brought indoors.
Mow the lawn on your last visit during the summertime; after that, winterize the lawnmower.
Turn off the outside breakers.
Clean your gutters.
Seal any outside air leaks.
Prepare your outside pipes to prevent them from freezing and bursting.
Make sure no limbs are hanging over your house that could potentially fall and damage it.

For more information on prepping your property for the off-season, check out Lake Homes Realty CEO Glenn S. Phillips’ tips for winterizing your lake home.

Lake Home Activities for the Winter Season

Posted on February 21, 2020December 4, 2020 Mary Walters

Cozy winter lake home constructed by Mark Tanner Construction — Photo courtesy of Mark Tanner Construction.

We all love the hustle and bustle around the lake during summertime. The sun and fun seem never-ending, and there’s an abundance of activities to keep busy. Then, as soon as the water cools and the leaves begin to fall, we might suddenly get hit with the winter blues. However, even though summer is gone and winter is here, there are ways to still enjoy your lake home. Keep reading to see our winter lake activities you should try this season!

Pick Up a Book

Enjoy the solitude of your lake home and enjoy one of our favorite winter lake activities by catching up on that pile of books that you’ve been neglecting. It always feels like we have lists of books that we should read, but life gets in the way. Now is the best time to delve into another world, read the biography of your favorite historical figure, or enjoy the romance novel of the year. Whatever you’re inclined to pick up, do it! If it’s not your cup of tea, there are loads more books from which to choose.

Shine a Light

According to a study conducted by Harvard, the leading cause of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a condition in which winter months catalyze depressive symptoms, is the lack of sunlight. Thankfully, there are now lamps and lightbulbs that are designed to emit light like the sun. These are considered to be the best way to combat the low energy that accompanies SAD. For a bit of warmth to accompany this natural light, you can always opt for a classic fire in your lake home den. There’s something so cathartic about snuggling up under a warm blanket and watching the burning logs in the fireplace.

Try a New Hobby

Put your extra time to good use and try something new! It’s always exciting to start a new project or a hobby that has piqued your interest. One our quintessential winter lake activities is knitting. The hardest part of any new project is getting started, so go ahead and pick up the yarn, candle wax and scents, or jewelry making materials and pursue your new hobby!

Clean up Your Home

If you’d like to use these winter months in a practical, productive way, consider rearranging your lake home or cleaning out those pesky junk drawers. Don’t wait for the spring cleaning season. Focus on clean-up and organization now so that when it warms up, you can enjoy all your impressive lake views with a clean home.

Spend a Cozy Weekend with Friends

Three friends casually drinking wine at the lake winter lake activities

Another reason for the winter blues is the solitude of this time of year. To combat those feelings first, remind yourself that the quiet time is only for a season. Literally. Sometimes it’s good for us all to take the time alone and reflect. Although the loneliness of the season can get to you, be encouraged that you can reverse the seasonal woes by doing one of our favorite lake activities: inviting all of your friends over to the lake. Whether that’s for a fun dinner night or quiet, cozy weekend, you can make new memories with your old friends, sitting together and chatting over the quietness of winter with the lake in the background. Through these moments, you can look back at this season as not a time of boredom, but as a time of relationship building.

Whatever activity you may choose, you won’t look back on this season with regret!

5 Organizational Tips for Tackling Your Messy Garage

Posted on December 21, 2015December 15, 2017 Staff

As it starts to get colder, homeowners are looking for ways to clean up their homes, so they can have more space for storing their summer things.

They also start thinking about getting rid of old things and simply just making things look nicer, and the largest task in most homes are the garages.

It’s truly the only part of the house that most families let go. It’s easy to throw everything that doesn’t belong in the house, in the garage, but it gets packed pretty quickly.

It can be hard to find motivation to tackle the task of getting things back in order, but once you start, there are some things you can do to keep your garage organized in the future.

Magnetic Tool Holder

This neat magnetic tool bar is quite similar to the knife holders you’ll find in some kitchens. Except they are made to fit drill bits, nails, wrenches and all the tools you can imagine.

And the best part, you don’t have to go digging into the unknown to find what you need, it’ll be hanging right in front of you.

Use a Paper Towel Holder for Trash Bags

You can use an old paper towel holder from the kitchen in the garage to hold your trash bags.

This will keep the garage area clean and controlled. Plus, you can rip away at the bags like you do paper towels and get the area cleaned up that much faster.

It’s actually quite useful because little things like garbage bags can get lost fairly easily in the garage.

Can Wall Storage

You can use a can to hold smaller tools, knickknacks and paint brushes.

All you do is drill a hole in the can and add a hook to the edge of the can so it can hang in the garage.

The can should be easy to install and can be any size you want, from a typical soup can to a much larger coffee container.

Save your Jars

That’s right, your jars can be used to hold different types of screws and bolts.

You can organize your tool shelf by using individual jars for washers, screws, bolts or whatever your heart desires.

Depending on what you are storing, you can use sizes ranging from baby food jars up to pickle jars, then simply label the contents of the jar on the side or lid.

Industrial Shelving Units

If you simply need more shelf space, one easy-to-install and price-effective remedy is industrial shelving units.

These units are designed to handle heavy objects, are usually customizable, provide plenty of extra shelf space and are found at almost any local hardware store.

You can generally find them in steel or heavy duty plastic, just make sure you take note of how much weight it can bear, and don’t overload it.

These are just a few of the ways you can begin to de-clutter you garage and make it a more usable space.

It can be as easy as saving your pickle jars and putting them to good use. Everyday household items can go a long way, especially, if you get creative when it comes to organization!