Preparing your Australian holiday house for winter: a practical guide

For many Australians, a holiday house is more than bricks and mortar. It might be a fibro weekender on the coast, a stone cabin up in the Snowy Mountains, or a weatherboard shack somewhere along the Murray. When the mercury drops and the high country starts frosting over, owners start thinking about how to keep the place in good nick until the next long weekend or summer break. Winterising a vacation home in Australia comes with its own quirks, from bushfire country to salt air to the way heating bills can spike during a freezing July weekend in Thredbo or Launceston.

Aussie owners tend to approach the off-season a bit differently to their American or European counterparts. Rather than months of solid frost, many homes only sit empty for a few cooler weeks between the Easter school holidays and the start of the ski season proper. That shorter window still demands a proper shut-down routine, especially for properties in alpine regions of Victoria and New South Wales where pipes can freeze solid, or for coastal shacks where damp and mould can creep in fast.

The key is to think ahead. A few hours spent prepping in autumn can save a small fortune in repairs when you finally throw open the shutters for the next visit. From drainage checks to smart thermostat settings, the steps below cover the essentials that local owners swear by.

Protecting plumbing from frost and leaks

Australia's alpine areas might not get the heavy snow dumps of the Canadian Rockies, but nights at places like Perisher, Falls Creek or Dinner Plain can still drop well below zero. That is more than cold enough to burst exposed pipes. The first job is to locate every outdoor tap, irrigation line and exposed pipe run, then insulate them with foam sleeves or old towels wrapped in plastic. Anyone who has dealt with a ruptured pipe on arrival at a ski chalet will tell you it is a lesson learned the hard way.

For homes that sit empty for the whole winter, the safest approach is a full drain-down. Turn off the water at the mains, open every tap and flush every toilet, then pour a cup of bio-degradable antifreeze into each trap. This is standard practice for properties in places like Bright and Mt Buller, where local plumbers recommend it for any house left unheated for more than a few weeks.

If the property will be visited occasionally, set the heating to a frost-guard setting of around 12 to 15 degrees rather than switching it off entirely. Cabinet doors under sinks should be left open on the coldest nights, and the hot water system switched to its holiday mode. A slow trickle from a few taps during a cold snap can also keep water moving enough to prevent freezing.

Getting the heating system ready

Heating equipment that has been sitting idle since last winter deserves a proper once-over. Reverse-cycle systems, which most Aussie homes rely on, benefit from a clean filter and a quick check of the outdoor unit. Skipping this is a common mistake; a clogged filter can drive up running costs and pump dust and allergens through the house the moment you turn it on. For anyone prone to hay fever, exploring air filtration upgrades can make a real difference to indoor comfort.

Wood fireplaces and slow combustion heaters need attention too. The flue should be swept, the ash pan emptied, and a fresh load of seasoned hardwood stacked nearby. Hardwood suppliers in regional Victoria and Tasmania often deliver by the tonne, and a well-cured stack will burn cleaner and produce far less creosote build-up. Keep in mind that any stored firewood should sit well clear of the house to deter spiders and snakes from moving in for the winter.

Programmable thermostats are worth their weight in gold for a part-time residence. Setting the temperature to drop by a few degrees during the day and warm up an hour or so before arrival can slash power bills, particularly in properties on the rising tariffs that have rolled out across much of the east coast. Owners keen to fine-tune their schedules can find guidance on thermostat programming tips that suit both comfort and efficiency.

Sealing gaps and stopping drafts

Older Aussie holiday homes are notorious for letting the cold in. Many were built in the 1960s and 70s with timber frames that have since dried out, leaving gaps around windows, doors and skirting boards. A weekend spent with a caulking gun, some expanding foam and a few rolls of weatherstripping can transform how the place feels. Door snakes, the kind you can pick up at any Bunnings for a few bucks, are a low-effort win for draughty front and back doors.

Floorboards are another common culprit. Gaps between boards let warm air escape and cold air creep in from underneath. A few tubes of timber putty or specialised gap-filler can fix this without the cost of a full re-sand. For homes with elevated floors, checking the subfloor for missing vents or damaged insulation pays dividends over the long run.

Roof spaces often hide the biggest thermal losses. If the existing batts are old, compressed or have been disturbed by possums, topping them up with new insulation is one of the best returns on investment. R3.5 to R5.0 batts suit most of southern Australia, while colder alpine zones benefit from even higher R-values. A quick visual inspection from the manhole is usually enough to spot obvious problems before they turn into bigger headaches.

Keeping damp and mould at bay

Damp is the silent destroyer of many a holiday house, especially in humid coastal zones like the Gold Coast hinterland, the Mornington Peninsula, or anywhere around Sydney's northern beaches. When a home is closed up for weeks with no airflow, condensation builds up on walls, ceilings and inside wardrobes, and mould can take hold within days. Prevention beats cure every time.

Before locking up, wipe down every wet surface and pull out any old towels or bedding that might still be holding moisture. Leave wardrobe and cupboard doors slightly ajar, and prop the bathroom and laundry doors open too. A few moisture-absorbing buckets or commercial dehumidifier tablets placed strategically around the house will soak up a surprising amount of water over a long stretch.

Ventilation matters as much during winter as in summer. Even in cold weather, opening windows for ten or fifteen minutes on fine days keeps the air circulating. A small exhaust fan set on a timer can also push damp air out before it has a chance to settle. For properties that get occasional winter visits, this habit alone will keep the musty closed-up smell at bay.

Securing the property and the surrounds

Winter is also a time when break-ins at vacant properties spike in some parts of the country. A few simple steps can make a holiday home look lived in and less appealing to opportunists. Timer switches on a couple of interior lights, a radio playing softly, and a neighbour or local property manager checking in once a fortnight are all worth organising well before the first cold front rolls through.

Outside, clear gutters and downpipes of leaves and debris. Blocked gutters are a major cause of water damage during heavy winter rain, and in bushfire-prone areas they are an outright hazard. Trim back any overhanging branches near the roof and clean out the leaves from around the air conditioner condenser. For homes near the bush, ensuring the property meets local council guidelines on fuel-load reduction is a worthwhile precaution.

Give the garden a winter tidy while you are at it. Mow the lawn one last time, clear away any rotting timber, and store outdoor furniture in a shed or undercover area. This is also a good moment to check for signs of termite activity, particularly in older timber homes across Queensland and northern New South Wales where colonies stay active year-round.

Bedding, sleeping comfort and final touches

For homes that will host winter visitors, comfort in the bedrooms matters more than almost anything else. Flipping mattresses, airing bedding on a sunny arvo, and swapping summer doonas for heavier winter weight quilts is a quick job. Electric blankets are a staple in many Aussie homes, and a quick check of the cord and controller before plugging in is a sensible safety step.

Sleeping temperature plays a real role in how well anyone rests, and the science backs up keeping the bedroom a few degrees cooler than the rest of the house. Most people sleep best in a room somewhere between 16 and 19 degrees, which is easy to achieve with a slow-combustion heater on a timer or a reverse-cycle unit on a gentle overnight setting. Anyone chasing a more comfortable night can read up on optimal sleeping temperature ranges to dial in the right conditions.

Before driving off, take a final walk-through with a checklist. Thermostat set, taps off, doors and windows locked, perishables out of the fridge, bins empty, alarm on. Many owners stick this list on the inside of the front door so it is impossible to miss. With everything buttoned down, the house will sit quietly through the cold months and be ready to welcome the family back the moment the next long weekend or school holiday rolls around.