✓Ready-made checklist

Opening up the summer house

The first visit after winter: roof and foundations, turning the water on, electrics, stove and flue, the house inside, the plot, machinery and first aid.

Items inside: 17

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Walk around the house and inspect the roof
Leak marks, missing elements, blocked gutters, the state of the foundations and drainage after winter.
Turn the water on carefully and check the pipes
A pipe that split over winter shows itself exactly now. Turn it on gradually, standing next to a valve you can close.

Turning the water on gradually is the only protection against opening the season with a flood.
Check the consumer unit and wiring
Breakers, sockets, outdoor runs, traces of damp or damage after winter. Anything doubtful goes to an electrician, not to \u201cit'll do\u201d.
Check the stove, fireplace and flue before the first fire
Draw, the state of the flue, no nests inside. This is safety, not comfort: carbon monoxide has no smell.
Inspect gas equipment according to the manual Gas equipment
Cylinders, hoses, connections, smell. Any doubt means a professional rather than a do-it-yourself check.
Air the house and check for damp
Corners, ceilings, behind furniture and under the floor if accessible. Post-winter mould is common and better caught early.
Check for signs of rodents and insects
The house stood empty; this is normal. Clear the traces, find the entry points and the stores that were reached.
Inspect the cellar and stores
Damp, mould, the state of stores and jars. Throw out anything spoiled now: dealing with it in the heat is far worse.
Clean once the checks are done
Dust, cobwebs, windows, textiles, crockery. Cleaning follows the system checks rather than replacing them.
Test the appliances and the fridge
Switch them on one at a time and watch. Wash the fridge and start it before the food arrives, not with it.
Walk the plot and check fences and trees
Snow and wind break branches and gates. Remove dangerous dead limbs before the season rather than after they fall.
Check garden machinery and tools A garden or vegetable plot
Fuel, oil, charge, blades, hoses and containers. Better to find a fault now than in the middle of the work.
Set up watering and a water reserve A garden or vegetable plot
Barrels, hoses, pump, filters. Check that water fills and drains where it should.
Refresh the first-aid kit and insect protection
Expiry dates, plasters, bite and tick protection. Out of town the pharmacy is far away, and you notice on the first evening.
Check the extinguisher and smoke alarm
Expiry date and battery. Help takes longer to arrive out of town, so early warning matters more than in a city.
Check the signal and prepare for outages
A power bank, torch, candles, some water. Outages out of town are more frequent and last longer.
Write everything needing repair on its own list
With dates and priorities. Otherwise the season goes on whatever came to mind rather than what matters.

The first visit decides what the season will be like

Opening a season is not cleaning but checking the systems after winter. Water, electricity, the roof, machinery and stores all survive frost differently, and it is better to find problems on the first visit with tools than in the middle of the season with guests.

The order is simple: the outside and services first, then the house, then the plot and machinery. Cleaning comes after the checks, not instead of them.

What to check first

Area	What to look at
Roof and gutters	Leak marks, missing elements, blocked channels
Foundations and drainage	Cracks, washouts, traces of water
Water	Pipe integrity after winter, the pump, filters
Electricity	The consumer unit, breakers, wiring including outdoor runs
Stove, fireplace, flue	Draw and condition before the first fire
Cellar and stores	Damp, mould, the state of what was stored

Turn the water back on carefully: a pipe that split over winter reveals itself at exactly that moment, and it helps to be standing next to a valve you can close.

Inside the house

Air it out, check for damp and mould, inspect corners and ceilings, wash the windows, go through the textiles. Look for signs of rodents and insects: the house stood empty all winter, and that is normal rather than a sign of neglect.

Check appliances and any gas equipment before using them. Anything involving gas follows the manual and, if in doubt, a professional.

Plot and machinery

Walk the plot: fences, gates, trees after the snow, the state of paths. Garden machinery needs fuel, oil, charge and blades checked. Tools, hoses and water containers should be present and intact.

Do not try to do everything on the first visit. Split it into two or three: check and start up, clean and plant, repairs from the list.

First aid, safety and contact

Refresh the first-aid kit, check the extinguisher and smoke alarm if you have them, and stock up on insect and tick protection. Make sure you have signal and a charged power bank: outages are more common out of town.

When the season is open

Services are checked and running, there are no leaks, machinery works, the house is aired and cleaned, the plot has been walked, first aid and protection are refreshed, and everything needing repair is on its own list with dates.

Frequently asked questions

How should I open up a summer house for the season?

Start with checks rather than cleaning: walk around the outside, inspect the roof and foundations, turn the water on carefully, check the electrics, stove and flue. Cleaning, the plot and machinery come after. That way a leak or fault appears on the first visit rather than mid-season.

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