Many Americans head south for the cold winter months, traveling to a second home in a warmer climate. Most of these snowbirds are retirees who enjoy spending the summer months in their hometowns, expecting they won’t have to worry about snow, ice or freezing temperatures during the late fall, winter and early spring.

A big part of becoming a snowbird is opening and closing homes twice a year. If you’re planning on moving to a winter home each year, you don’t want to return in the spring and discover you may have to repair damage caused by weather or animals.

Here are some tips on how to close down a house:

* Clean everything, including the stove and refrigerator. Any leftover bits of food could attract bugs or rodents, spoil and stain something, or cause a bad smell that may be very difficult to remove.

* Flush all the water out of your house. Start by turning off the water to your home, then turn on all the faucets and flush all the toilets. Also, drain your water heater. If you want to take it a step further, contact a plumber to blow air through all the pipes to make sure all water is out.

* If you’re heading south for a winter vacation home, it’s a good idea to turn on the heat in your summer home before you leave to keep the interior temperature above freezing. This is an extra winter home safety step you can take to help prevent your pipes from freezing and potentially breaking.

* Look for potential animal hiding places. Make sure you close the flue in your fireplace and inspect your roof, the eaves, your siding, and doors and windows for possible cracks or holes. This is also a great time to seal your doors and windows to prevent insects from entering your home.

* Unplug everything, including all your appliances and your phones. This will help prevent them from drawing electrical current while not in use, and also from being damaged in case an electrical storm strikes your home while you’re away.

Use these tips to develop your own to-do checklist as you prepare to join other snowbirds heading to their winter vacation homes this year. And talk to friends or family members who head south for the winter to determine what they do to help secure their home for several months.