Nothing can be more exciting than buying a summer vacation home, especially a log cabin nestled in the mountains. If you have recently purchased a vacation cabin or have one you haven't been to in a long while, you will need to prepare it before you can spend an entire summer in it. Follow these helpful tips for making your cabin renovations easier and faster.

Work From The Inside To The Out

Before you start cleaning or tearing out old materials, take a walk through your cabin and make a list of everything you need to do for making it livable and safe. If your cabin has been empty for awhile, be sure to look for evidence of insects like spiders and for mountain critters like squirrels. You may want to fumigate for insects just to be on the safe side. Raccoons are notorious for getting into empty summer cabins, so be on the look out. Also, check the following before you get started:

• Be sure to have a look at the electrical and plumbing system in your cabin. Making sure these two systems are in good working condition is your number one concern before clean-up begins. If you see parts of either system that require repairs, taking care of them first is important.

• If your cabin has old appliances, making sure they work is vital to being able to live comfortably.

• Many cabins have wood stoves for heating and for cooking. If your cabin has a wood stove, inspect the pipe and flue for making sure it is free of critters and that is safe to start up.

Take A Close Look At The Roof

The last thing you want is to get all your belongings unpacked and ready for a relaxing summer only to find you have a serious roof leak. Be sure to have a look at the roofing materials to see if there are any repairs that need to be done. If you find areas that need repairs, contacting a roofing contractor may be a good idea. If you decide to make the roofing repairs yourself, remember to engage a dumpster service for putting everything you tear off into. In this way. You can avoid, making a huge mess in your landscape that you will have to spend more time cleaning up later.

Remember Log Siding Maintenance

Renting a dumpster is a good idea if you have logs on your cabin's exterior that need to replaced. Having a dumpster makes it easier to get rid of heavy logs you replace. Look for repair needs like cracks and mold on your existing logs. If you see any cracks and they run the length of a log, you need to replace it to prevent moisture from finding its way into your cabin. Smaller cracks can be repaired using specially formulated filler.

Preparing your summer cabin for a long, relaxing vacation can be a lot of work, but it will be worth it. If you know you will require a dumpster rental, take the time to make room for one before getting started on the projects like the roof or siding.