A checklist for closing up the cabin when you leave
Most cabins are closed up from memory, by whoever happens to leave last. When several people share the cabin, that is not enough. You need a list everyone follows.
I built Hyttepermen for families who share a cabin. The list below is meant to be written down, and it works just as well on paper inside a cupboard door. Where the app saves you a step, it says so.
1. Write down the order for your cabin
Every cabin has its own order. Some have piped water that must be shut off, others have a well and a bucket. Some are left with the heating on, others are left cold. Whoever knows the system should write down what to do, and in what order. If you are unsure, ask the person who installed it.
Write it so a first-time guest can follow the list alone. “Shut off the water” is not enough. Write where the valve is, and which way it turns.
In Hyttepermen: Departure has its own checklist, and critical items like the main water valve and power are flagged. The app reminds you of the list before you head home.
2. Water
Find out what applies at your cabin: whether the main valve should be closed, and whether anything needs draining when it is cold. That depends on the system and the season, and mistakes here get expensive. Follow the cabin’s own routine, item by item.
Check that no taps drip, and that the dishwasher and washing machine are finished and empty.
3. Power and heating
The list should say what stays on and what goes off. That covers the water heater, the heat pump, panel heaters and the fridge. The temperature the cabin should hold also belongs in the list, not in one person’s head.
Check that the cooker is off. Unplug the coffee maker, the kettle and chargers. If you split the power bill, read the meter before you go.
In Hyttepermen: The Binder is the place for the heat pump manual and the caretaker’s number. The cabin owner can also record meter readings for power and water.
4. Fireplace and ashes
Stop adding wood well before you leave. Ashes can hold embers long after the flames are gone. Put them in a metal bucket with a lid, and leave it outside, away from walls and the woodpile. Never in a bag, a cardboard box or the bin.
Check that candles are out, and that the stove door is closed.
5. Food and rubbish
Empty the fridge of fresh food. Whatever can stay goes into sealed containers, because mice find the rest. If the fridge is to be switched off, leave its door ajar.
Take the rubbish with you, or follow the cabin’s arrangement for collection. Empty the bathroom bin as well. A bag left for a few weeks greets the next guest at the door.
6. Windows and doors
Do one final round, in the same order every time. Close and lock the windows, including the loft and the cellar. Lock the outbuildings, the shed and the outhouse. Bring in whatever the wind can take: furniture, cushions and the parasol. Put the key where it belongs.
7. Tell the next guest
Whoever comes after you needs to know two things: what is missing, and what is broken. An empty gas bottle, not much firewood, the last roll of toilet paper. A pump that makes a noise, a window that will not close fully. Write it down the same day. Once you are home, it is forgotten.
In Hyttepermen: What is missing goes on the shopping list, and everyone sees it. Messages about the water being shut off and who is bringing firewood go in the Hearth, the cabin’s own chat. In the checklist, everyone sees what is done and who did it.
Common mistakes
- Relying on memory. Someone who closes the cabin twice a year does not remember the order.
- Assuming someone else did it. When several people leave at once, it is easy for nobody to shut off the water. One item, one person, one tick.
- Putting the ashes in a bag. Embers do not show.
- Keeping quiet about what is broken. The next guest finds out anyway, only without tools.
- Starting too late. Set aside more time than you think. The list does not help if it is skipped because the ferry leaves.