Guide

Closing a Martha's Vineyard house for winter

Last reviewed October 15, 2026

A seasonal house on Martha's Vineyard spends the hardest months of the year with nobody in it. This guide covers what to book in early fall, what to do in the last week and on closing day, and how to make sure someone keeps an eye on the house once you have gone.

Why closing matters on the island

Seasonal houses are the norm here. State housing estimates put the share of homes held for seasonal, recreational or occasional use at 47 percent in Aquinnah, 48 percent in Tisbury, 56 percent in Oak Bluffs and West Tisbury, 65 percent in Chilmark and 69 percent in Edgartown [1]. Many of those houses close in the same few weeks of autumn, and they call on the same island plumbers, heating companies and electricians. Book them in September or early October, not the week you leave.

Anything the island does not have in stock comes over by boat, and the boats stop in bad weather. During the February 2026 blizzard every ferry was canceled on the day of the storm [2]. A problem that is small on day one, such as a slow leak or a furnace that will not relight, gets worse while a part or a technician waits for the weather.

A closed house also has nobody opening windows or noticing a damp smell. The EPA recommends keeping indoor relative humidity below 60 percent, ideally between 30 and 50 percent, and drying anything that gets wet within 24 to 48 hours to prevent mold [3]. In an empty house a leak can run far longer than that before anyone sees it. Salt air is hard on outdoor metal too, which is one more reason to clean and store grills and furniture instead of leaving them out.

Water is the costly risk. The Massachusetts Division of Insurance reports that in 2024, 48.6 percent of homeowners insurance claims in the state were for non-flood water losses and freezing damage [4].

Heat on, or a full drain-down?

There are two ways to protect the plumbing in a house that will sit empty: keep the house heated, or shut off the water and drain the system. The two can be combined.

If you keep the heat on, the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) and the American Red Cross both say not to set the thermostat below 55 degrees Fahrenheit while you are away [5] [6]. IBHS also suggests shutting off the main water valve if you will be gone for more than a week in freezing weather [5]. A full drain-down goes further: the plumber shuts off the supply and drains the pipes, fixtures, water heater and appliances.

The right answer depends on the house: its heating system, where the pipes run, whether there is a well, a fire sprinkler system or radiant heat, and what your insurance policy requires. Make this decision with a licensed plumber and your insurer. In Massachusetts, only a licensed master or journeyman plumber, with permits from the local plumbing inspector, may do plumbing work in your home [7].

Insurance: read the vacancy and freeze clauses

Two parts of a homeowners policy matter most for an empty house. The first is the vacancy or unoccupancy clause. Massachusetts law sets out a standard fire policy under which, unless the policy says otherwise in writing, the insurer is not liable for a loss that happens while a residential building of three units or less has been vacant or unoccupied for more than sixty consecutive days [8]. Your own policy may word this differently, so read it.

The second is the freeze clause. The Division of Insurance warns that most homeowners policies cover sudden and accidental water damage from a burst pipe only if the home was properly heated and not left unoccupied [4]. Insurer guidance also tells owners to review their coverage before an extended absence, because how it applies depends on the circumstances and the policy terms [9].

Call your agent before you close the house and ask what the policy requires while the house is empty: a minimum temperature, a water shut-off, how often someone must check the house, and whether you need an endorsement. Ask for the answers in writing.

The closing checklist

4 to 6 weeks before

• Call your insurance agent with the questions above and note the answers.
• Book a licensed plumber for closing day and agree on heat on, drain-down, or both.
• Have the furnace or boiler serviced before winter [10], and set up automatic delivery of heating oil or propane.
• Book generator service with a licensed electrician or the generator dealer. A home generator should connect through a transfer switch installed by a licensed electrician [11].
• Have the irrigation system drained the way the installer directs [6].
• Have dead or broken branches cut, especially any that hang over the roof, and think about when the roof was last inspected [10].
• If you want remote alerts, install a smart thermostat or water-leak sensors now and test them [9]. Ask how they behave when the power or internet goes out.
• Arrange for someone to check the house regularly over the winter, and agree on how often, what they look at and how they report.
• Stop or forward the mail. The Postal Service holds mail for 3 to 30 days; for longer absences it suggests forwarding [12]. Pause newspapers and package deliveries.

The last week

• Empty the refrigerator and freezer of anything that would spoil if the power were out for days.
• Bring in outdoor furniture and cushions. Clean grills and store them, handling the gas cylinder as the manufacturer directs.
• Disconnect garden hoses and irrigation lines from the house [10].
• Clear gutters and downspouts of leaves and debris [10], and check that downspouts and outside drains carry water away from the foundation.
• Check doors and windows for drafts and seal gaps with weatherstripping or caulk [10]. Decide which shutters close now and which close before a storm.
• Test smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and fit fresh batteries [13].
• Photograph or film every room and the outside of the house, and keep the files somewhere other than the house [14].
• Write a one-page house sheet for whoever checks the house: where the water and electrical shut-offs are, and phone numbers for your plumber, electrician, heating company, fuel supplier and insurer.

Closing day

• The plumber shuts off and drains the water as agreed. Ask for a short written note of what was done.
• Set the thermostat to the temperature you agreed with your plumber and insurer.
• Open cabinet doors under sinks so warm air reaches the pipes [4], and make sure outside faucets are shut off and covered [4].
• Turn off the water to the washing machine and dishwasher [9], if the plumber has not already drained them.
• Unplug electronics you are not leaving on. Power can come back with surges that damage equipment [15].
• Close and lock every window and door, and close the shutters you planned to close.
• Walk around the outside one last time for anything loose that wind could carry.
• Leave a key and the house sheet with the person who will check the house.

After you leave

• Keep the agreed schedule of house checks, with extra visits after storms and hard freezes [9].
• At each visit: confirm the heat is running and note the indoor temperature, look for water on floors and ceilings, smell for damp, and check doors, windows and the roof line.
• Watch your thermostat or sensor app, and know who will go to the house if an alert comes in.
• Arrange snow clearing so the house can be reached, and have snow raked off the roof if ice dams are a risk [10].
• Tell your insurer if your plans for the house change during the winter.

Plumbing and gas work is for a licensed plumber or gas fitter [7]. Electrical work is for a licensed electrician, and alarm systems are for a licensed systems contractor [16].

Sources

1. Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, Legislatively designated seasonal communities, April 18, 2025 (2018 to 2022 American Community Survey estimates).
2. Hayley Duffy, Blizzard buries Island, The Martha's Vineyard Times, February 26, 2026.
3. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home.
4. Massachusetts Division of Insurance, Massachusetts Cold Snap: Don't Let Frozen Pipes Become Your Next Insurance Claim, January 21, 2026.
5. Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety, IBHS Winter Weather Ready guide, November 14, 2024.
6. American Red Cross, Preventing and Thawing Frozen Pipes.
7. Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Plumbers and Gas Fitters, Plumbers and gas fitters consumer fact sheet.
8. Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 175, Section 99 (standard fire insurance policy).
9. State Farm, How to protect your home while south for winter vacation, October 12, 2026.
10. Massachusetts Division of Insurance, The Massachusetts Division of Insurance Encourages Homeowners to Protect their Home from Winter Weather, February 20, 2025.
11. Massachusetts Department of Fire Services, Generator safety.
12. U.S. Postal Service, Hold Mail.
13. Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, Power Outage Safety Tips.
14. National Association of Insurance Commissioners, What You Need to Know When Filing a Homeowners Claim, April 20, 2022.
15. Ready.gov (FEMA), Power Outages, updated June 4, 2026.
16. Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Electricians, Electricians consumer fact sheet.