Summer Lovin’ Your Summer Home

By: Oksana, the Order Maven

Growing up in the former Soviet Union, much of our summers consisted of weekend trips to the dacha, a country house. My mother had to expertly pack and plan out the meals for the entire weekend as there were no stores, restaurants, or other facilities anywhere in the vicinity of the dacha for the duration of our stay in the countryside.

Do you dread preparing and packing for the trips to your summer vacation home? Let’s turn all of that dreadin’ into plannin’! You need to invest 2-3 hours well in advance of your first trip to organize yourself in order to make the rest of your visits tzsuris-free. If you have started your regular trips already, it is never too late to get organized:

1. HOUSE MATTERS – schedule the house cleaning service, pool cleaning service, gardener, exterminator, and any other provider in advance of your visit and set a schedule for the summer. Make a few copies of your house keys.

2. FUN PACK – prepare games, videos, books, magazines, sporting equipment, beach essentials, and take it on your first trip. Leave it all there for the duration of the summer.

3. NEVER FORGET AGAIN – Create a written list of items you must have on hand in your summer house kitchen and bathrooms. Break the list up into the following groups:

Pantry

Fridge

Freezer

Bathroom, medicine cabinets, cleaning supplies

Pool/patio/beach

Save this list on your computer in a folder entitled “Summer House.” Print out 20 copies of the inventory, insert into a transparency sheet, take it to your vacation home and post it on a fridge, bulletin board, or any other area where it will attract your attention.

At the end of each visit, review the inventory and determine what you need to purchase for the next trip back.

4. LINENS – regardless of whether you have access to laundry facilities, invest in two changes of bedding and bath linens per person in the house. If you have guests or need to change the bedding for any other reason, you should always have a spare set on hand to make that a simple process. This will also make it possible for you to “turn things over” at the end of your trip by stripping the beds and putting on clean sheets before your departure.

5. CLOTHES – pack essentials for each member of your family, enough for at least 2 days, that can be left at the vacation home for the entire summer.

6. BAG IT – during the week, keep a big tote bag in the entryway of your house or in your garage where you can put things that you are afraid to forget to bring with you to your summer retreat.

7. MEAL PLAN – think it though in advance and make a shopping list by adding to the list you should have already started in part 4.

8. BE OUR GUEST – it is wonderful to host friends and family or lend your vacation home out for a weekend. To make your hosting process easier, organize the following items (do this once and save your files in the “Summer House” folder on your computer):

Directions – build a set of thorough driving and via public transportation directions (if applicable) along with your contact information.

Map & nearby attractions

Amenities – provide a telephone number for the house, emergency contact information, neighbors’ information, intricacies of the house, instructions for using appliances, electronics and equipment at your property, etc.

Check-out procedures – make and frame with a list of items that need to be accomplished prior to leaving the house: stripping the beds, emptying the trash, removing perishables from the fridge, loading the dish washer, turning off the AC and lights, checking all windows and doors, locking the gates, etc. Post a similar list near the front door as a reminder.

9. END-OF-SUMMER LIST – at the end of the season, make a list of repairs and treatments required, as well as a shopping list of items you should purchase in advance of the next summer season.

Some advance planning for each visit will relieve much of the stress related to packing for excursions to your retreat so that you can eventually start summer lovin’ it!

Oksana V. Bellas is the Founder and Chief Organizing Maven of Order Matters in Vancouver, BC. She holds an MBA and has many years of experience in operations and management of organizations. Through organizing individuals, entities, and their schedules and space, Order Matters’ goal is to bring balance and order to people’s lives. Check out Order Matters blog and LIKE us on Facebook for regular tips and inspirations for leading an organized life.