posted October 12, 2003 05:46 PM               

1. Clean your vacation home's gutters and downspouts so that rain water drains away from the house quickly.
2. Prune back tree limbs that hang over your home or nearby utility lines. This will lessen damage during winter wind and ice storms.
3. Drain water from all outside hoses and store them away. Cover over any outside faucets with insulation (I use a tennis ball cut with an "x" forced over the spigot).
4. Drain and cover any above ground swimming pools. Hire a professional to winterize "in ground" pools.
5. If you can do it safely, disconnect your small satellite dish, and store it indoors.
6. Store all lawn furniture, grills, tools and other like items inside. wherever possible. Anything that cannot be moved needs to be covered with heavy plastic and secured in a protected location.
7. Clean your vacation home's refrigerator thoroughly, unplug it and prop the door open. Unplug all other electrical appliances.
8. Turn water off at the main line, even if your vacation home is in a warm climate. If the home is fed by a pump/well system, have it secured and serviced by a professional.
9. Make sure that the low point drains have been opened, and all residual water emptied from the pipes (NOTE - professional help here is almost a must, because no one will be there to find plumbing leaks). A box of RID-X will help the septic system.
10. Turn off the home's propane or natural gas. Get professional help if you aren't sure what to do.
11. Make sure that any pest inspections and pest treatments are pre-arranged.
12. Turn off the home's electrical power at the main breaker.
13. Stop any newspaper delivery, and notify the Postal Service to forward (or hold) all mail.