Durango designer urges September prep for mountain holiday homes

Lorrie Boone of Durango Holiday Home is publishing a September checklist aimed at helping vacation and second-home owners avoid last-minute holiday stress in the mountains. Her advice focuses on early prep, trusted local help and booking deadlines that can slip by before winter arrives.

Why it matters: - Mountain homeowners often have only a short window to make a second home feel ready for holiday guests. - September planning can reduce December stress, prevent avoidable problems and make a brief holiday stay feel more relaxed. - Boone says the goal is to help owners avoid spending the first days of a trip fixing problems instead of enjoying the home.

What happened: - Lorrie Boone published a new September checklist in her blog series, Life Lessons of a Durango Homeowner. - The post draws on Boone’s experience preparing a mountain home for the holidays after a first December that felt rushed and underprepared. - Boone also uses the post to point readers toward local services and deadlines that matter before winter.

The details: - Boone’s checklist includes early winter prep steps such as keeping mice out of crawl spaces and protecting outdoor faucets before the first freeze. - Boone says family holiday train rides and other popular seasonal activities need to be booked well ahead of time because the best dates and seats go quickly. - Boone notes that professional holiday decorating also has a deadline, because many designers are already booked by fall. - Boone recommends Royal Gold Cleaning Co. for arrival-ready homes. - Michelle Hill’s work at Royal Gold Cleaning Co. is well known among Durango Mountain Club members and other luxury clients in the area. - Boone points homeowners who want broader support to Nicole Byrum of Elevation Home Management, a property management firm serving dozens of luxury vacation and second homes in the Durango area. - Byrum says Durango does not have a dedicated holiday design service, and she has decorated her own tree more than once because no one else was available. - Boone says the full checklist and related posts are available at durangoholidayhome.com/blog. - Boone also directs interested homeowners to the contact information on Durango Holiday Home’s website.

Between the lines: - Boone’s advice reflects a broader gap between the holiday experience homeowners imagine and the actual work required to deliver it in a mountain setting. - The recommendations also show how much holiday readiness in Durango depends on advance planning and a small network of trusted local service providers. - Boone’s emphasis on women-owned businesses suggests the checklist is also a local referral guide, not just a decorating note.

What's next: - Boone says the September checklist is part of an ongoing series, with more homeowner tips available through Life Lessons of a Durango Homeowner. - Durango Holiday Home is available for homeowners who want professional holiday design help before the season fills up. - Boone says designers are typically booked solid by fall, so owners who want a full-home holiday setup need to plan early.

The bottom line: - For part-time mountain homeowners, a calm December starts long before the first snowfall.