DIY guideCottage
Open the cottage for the season
Walk round outside first, look inside before you settle in, then bring the power and the water back a little at a time, and watch for leaks and pests.
- 2 hr to 5 hr
- 9 steps
- Every step animated
9 steps
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Before you go in, walk round outside. Look for trees down, broken windows, and damage you can see from the ground.
A line down? Stay well back and call the power company.Open the door and stand there a moment. A smell, water on the floor or signs of animals tell you what to deal with first.
Smell gas? Don't switch anything on: leave, and call your fuel supplier from outside.Air the place out. Wear gloves and a mask, spray droppings with a bleach-and-water mix, wait, then wipe them up.
Never sweep or vacuum droppings dry: the dust can make you sick.Switch the main breaker on, then the others one at a time, and listen and smell for anything wrong.
Close the drains, fill the water heater before its power goes on, and open the main a little at a time. The water-on guide shows each step.
Walk every pipe, tap and toilet while the water comes up. A drip or a wet spot means shut the main off again.
Press the test button on each smoke and CO alarm, and put in fresh batteries.
Plug in the fridge, open the shutters and windows, and air the place out.
A pipe that's split or spraying, a breaker that trips again, or a burning smell: shut it off and ask Handyman for a plumber or an electrician.
What you need
- Rubber gloves and a mask
- A spray bottle of bleach and water
- Fresh alarm batteries
- A flashlight
Call a pro if
- A split or spraying pipe
- A breaker that trips again
- A burning smell
- A tree on the cottage
Handyman says: Split pipe? I'll find a plumber.
Free for every home. Handyman asks a few questions, then books a pro it trusts.
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