Durango designer shares September checklist for Texas mountain-home owners

Durango holiday designer Lorrie Boone is out with a September checklist for Texas families who own vacation homes in Southwest Colorado and need them ready before winter. The guide focuses on practical steps that can prevent holiday stress, from winterizing the house to booking services before schedules fill up.

Why it matters: - Texas homeowners with second homes in Southwest Colorado often have a short window to get a mountain property ready for holiday season use. - The checklist is meant to reduce last-minute scrambling, protect the home before freezing weather, and make arrival feel like a vacation instead of a workday. - Boone’s advice also points homeowners toward local services that can help when they are managing a property from afar.

What happened: - Durango holiday designer Lorrie Boone published a September checklist for homeowners with Colorado mountain retreats. - Boone shared the guide as part of her blog series, Life Lessons of a Durango Homeowner. - The post is aimed at families who own vacation homes in Southwest Colorado, including many Texas households. - Boone framed the advice around her own experience preparing a mountain home for December guests.

The details: - Boone said her first December in the home started with a dark house, an empty fridge and family arriving within a week. - Boone said the experience left her exhausted before the season began. - Boone said she wrote the checklist to help others avoid the same rushed holiday prep. - Boone learned to freeze meals before a trip so the first few days can focus on time with guests instead of cooking. - Boone and her husband Randy discovered a dryer that would not dry properly was caused by a mouse nesting in the vent. - Boone recommends protecting outdoor faucets before the first freeze. - Boone also recommends sealing gaps that mice look for once temperatures drop. - Boone says homeowners should book family holiday train rides early because the best dates and seats go quickly. - Boone says professional holiday preparation has its own deadline because most designers are booked by fall. - Boone recommends Royal Gold Cleaning Co. for arrival-ready homes. - Boone said Michelle Hill’s work is well known among Durango Mountain Club members and other luxury clients in the area. - Boone also points homeowners to Nicole Byrum of Elevation Home Management, which serves luxury vacation and second homes across the Durango area. - Byrum said she has put up a tree herself more than once because there was no one else to call. - Boone said additional recommendations are included in the full post. - The full September checklist is posted at durangoholidayhome.com/blog. - Boone also invites inquiries through the contact information on durangoholidayhome.com.

Between the lines: - The checklist turns a personal holiday headache into a practical service pitch for absentee owners who want a smoother arrival. - Boone’s recommendations also reinforce the value of local vendors for homeowners who are managing a property from another state. - The timing matters because fall is when holiday calendars, cleaning schedules and design bookings start to close.

What's next: - Boone’s blog series will continue to build around the realities of mountain homeownership. - Homeowners who want full-service help can use Boone’s studio, Durango Holiday Home, for seasonal decorating support in Durango and Southwest Colorado. - Boone says the goal is to make the brief holiday window feel warm and extraordinary, especially for families who use the home as an escape. - Durango Holiday Home says it offers Christmas decorating services for private homeowners and vacation property owners. - The studio says Boone has more than 12 years of experience creating custom holiday décor for residential homeowners and private clubs, including multi-year work at the Birmingham Country Club in metropolitan Detroit.

The bottom line: - For second-home owners, the difference between a relaxing holiday and a stressful one may come down to early planning, winter prep and knowing which local help to book before fall fills up.