If you’re one of the fortunate Canadians who owns a cottage or second home, you’re probably already contemplating the fact that cottage season is soon to come to an end.
Days spent on the dock, drinking beer by the lake, and having bonfires are finally coming to an end, and some places have even closed down in anticipation of winter. That is of course unless you own an all-season cottage that many Muskoka realtors rave about.
Here are five suggestions to help you make the most of your weekend at the cottage if you want to make the most of your remaining weekends there before the season closes.
Use Your Time Wisely
Let’s face it, the last weekend spent at the cabin won’t likely be very relaxing, it will involve a lot of closing procedures after a summer of use. Instead of leaving everything to the last minute, break certain tasks across multiple weekends leading up to your closure, including and larger cleans and checking for maintenance issues. Following closure, making the occasional trip to the cottage during winter and again in the spring can help make sure everything is in order can help you from becoming overburdened in one weekend.
Preparation
Not much time can be accomplished in two or three days. Because of this, it’s crucial to complete as much preparation as you can before going to the cottage. This entails stocking up for food, preparing meals in advance and setting up your keys and equipment. Consider hiring additional staff to complete any large repairs that need to be completed on the property the week before, such as restoring the pier.
Take the Shortcuts
Cottages are wonderful locations to unwind and spend a few days away from the daily grind. So feel free to save money wherever you can! Use recyclable, eco-friendly dishes and utensils on the weekend to reduce the amount of time spent dishwashing, for instance. Or shorten the time spent preparing meals by inviting your visitors to bring one of their favourite dishes.
Research
This is particularly important if you only hire a cottage for the weekend or don’t visit it often. Plan your travels carefully to avoid heavy traffic, ask the property owner about facilities on the property, and do some research on nearby hardware, supermarket, and restaurant establishments.
Plan for Weather
Fall can bring some colder or rainy days, so regarding the weather, be prepared for the unexpected. Sure, we all dream a cottage vacation will include lots of time spent outdoors in the sun, but Mother Nature occasionally doesn’t cooperate. Make sure you have a variety of indoor activities available to keep everyone entertained even when the weather is bad, such as board games and cards). If you don’t have a lot of games, ask attendees to bring one of their own.
Don’t Forget to Relax!
This is the most important factor to making the most out of your last few cottage weekends: relax! There is nothing left to do but sit back and take in the sunshine once you have organised both yourself and your visitors and taken care of everything from the food and beverages to the recycling. Everyone will appreciate the early preparation, and it will help ensure that everyone—including the hosts—has a fantastic day.