Forget what movies depict. That family cabin you’ve recently acquired in Connecticut won’t be in perfect condition every time you decide to come up there for a random visit. Can you expect an unused room not to gather dust while you’re away? It’s the same thing with the family cabin; only it’s not located inside the house.

It can be grand, and it serves as a retreat for the family. Before you can enjoy it, however, you’ll need to do some maintenance. Here are some of the things you need to do first.

Prepare the Chimney

Cabins make for a good gathering spot when you just want to relax for the weekend. It may be surrounded by nature, but you also have the option to stay in and huddle near the fire.

For cabins with chimneys, that means an extra task on your checklist. This is because the chimney in your Connecticut cabin requires clean wood stove inserts to be able to provide you with the warmth you need on cold nights. You can prepare this several days before the trip so that on the day itself, you can simply make some hot cocoa and cozy up.

Clean the Toilet

You can survive on canned food that, if stored in a good location, will be in good shape. But you can’t survive without a clean and functional toilet. Unfortunately, animals may have gotten into the toilet bowl while the cabin was unused.

This should be one of the first things you check if you’re planning to stay in the cabin. It doesn’t matter how long or short your stay is; you’ll need to use the toilet, and you’ll want a clean one to use for hygienic purposes.

Check the Food Supply

Cabins may come stocked with canned goods for the rainy days and the occasional family visits. While canned goods have a long shelf life, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to replenish the stock every couple of years. See to it that you have food that has a couple of years left on its shelf life so that it can still be fresh when you finally open it. Those nearing expiry can be consumed by the family now and then, replaced with a new batch.

You only have to do this every year or so, and leave some variety when stocking up on canned goods. Sure, you can survive on different flavors of soup, but wouldn’t it be better if you also had vegetables, tuna and a few other assortments?

Shut Off Power and Water

A cabin that isn’t in use all year will have its utilities shut off. This is part of the things you shouldn’t forget when you leave for the end of the season. When you return, it only makes sense that you have to switch them back on.

Not shutting off utilities may lead to unpaid bills even though you weren’t there to use the cabin. It may also attract trespassers. Free lodging with utilities sounds too good to resist.

The family cabin can be where some of your fondest memories happen. To protect them, make sure you maintain and restock the place regularly.