Meet the Hardworking Caretakers of a Northern Michigan Summer

Seven months a year, Northern Michigan’s multitude of seasonal cottages and summer houses sit vacant. Come spring, a small army of caretakers mobilize to ready these places for their owners’ return. From lawn care to lightbulbs, painting to property protection, cottage caretakers do it all to help keep their clients’ homes away from home — and our summer season — humming along. We surveyed a few local cottage–care companies to get the dirt on sprucing up.

John Rollert of Pro Maintenance 4 Seasons, Traverse City

Services provided: Complete property management. “We pretty much do anything our clients want,” Rollert said. “From interior cleaning and landscaping to docks and putting boats right in the water for people.”

Busiest time of the year: “Now until the Fourth of July!” Pro Maintenance caters primarily to seasonal people with second homes on the water.

Biggest challenge of the job:

Rollert has been in this business for over 20 years, so he said he’s got most of the challenges nailed — except for employees, as he likes to carefully select them to make sure he’s always got the ultimate team.

Most unique service they offer: “Customers sometimes ask us to pick up things like specific wines or special steaks to have in their house when they get there. Services like that are no problem,” Rollert said.

Most unusual thing they’ve been asked to do: “We once changed 103 lightbulbs in a big five-story house for a guy who simply wanted them all changed so he wouldn’t have to do it.”

What’s the most fun about the job: “I really enjoy meeting people all the time and, especially, working outside.”

What’s the most rewarding: “Smiling customers and repeat business!”

Best thing people can do for their own property: This is one of the few services Pro Maintenance doesn’t offer, but Rollert highly recommends pest control. “It’s so sad to see when some of these really nice places are opened up, and they’re full of spiderwebs and ants. Pest control is really something people should pay attention to, especially if they’re going to be away.”

For more information, visit promaintenancetraversecity.com or call 231-313-0615.

Brian McGeath of McGeath’s Cottage Care, Petoskey

Services provided: “We focus on creating a single point of contact for people on the inland lakes, so they don’t have to call lawn care, plumbers, snow removal, or electricians — we take care of all of it,” McGeath said.

Busiest time of the year: McGeath said that his company’s “bull’s-eye” is Memorial weekend, so it starts getting busy well before then. “April, May, and then Fourth of July are probably busiest,” he said.

Biggest challenge of the job: “Lack of a crew!” McGeath said. “I do most of it on my own to keep overhead down and so I don’t have to chase a crew around. But I have to be careful not to take on too much, so that I’m still able to do an exceptional job for my customers.”

Most unique service they offer: “I think what’s most unique is that we’re as much a handyman service as we are cottage care; this leads to a lot of side jobs. I even built a pingpong table for one client.”

Most unusual thing they’ve been asked to do: “This past winter, I had to drag a fullsized pinball machine, on a sled, through the snow, in the middle of winter, to a walk-out basement for a client at Boyne Mountain,” McGeath laughed. “That was quite a job.”

What’s the most fun about the job: “It’s fast-paced and always changing. I like having such a variety of jobs all in one day.”

What’s the most rewarding: Relying on himself to get the job completed. “The end product, good or bad, is my work, no one else’s,” he said. “So if the business is going well, that’s a good reflection on me.”

Best thing people can do for their own property: “I wish more people would understand the commitment that goes into maintaining a cottage. People need to realize how much work and expense really goes into it!”

For more information, visit mcgcottagecare. com or call 616-889-1094.

Erica and Jamie Chevalier of J&E Cottage Care, Indian River

Services provided: “Mowing, yard work, landscaping, fall cleaning, painting, security cottage checks in the winter, snow and ice removal, and my husband is a master heating and plumbing tech. We try to make cottage care a one-stop shop,” Erica said.

Busiest time of the year: “It’s pretty specific — April 15th to December 15th — so summer care, and then right through the holidays and winter cottage checks.”

Biggest challenge of the job: “Getting people to be more realistic as far as what’s possible with their property and what’s not possible,” Jamie Chevalier said

Most unique service they offer: Putting buoys in the lake — something that Erica said isn’t really thought of much by clients until it has to be done. “Our guys actually have to get into wetsuits and sometimes even snorkeling gear to get that accomplished,” she said. “It’s a lot more complicated than people think!” Most unusual thing they’ve been asked to do: Float a hoist (a device that lifts a boat out of the water for maintenance or storage) across a lake. “Those are meant to hold the boats, not really to be moved themselves!” Jamie Chevalier said. “We used two fishing boats, a two-by-four, and some ingenuity to get the job accomplished.”

What’s the most fun about the job: “Meeting all the clients — we’ve had some of the same ones for 30 years, and we also get new people every year. But all of them are always so excited to come up north each summer,” Erica said.

What’s the most rewarding: “To see a client so happy that they refer us to other people. And fortunately they often do!” Erica said.

Best thing people can do for their own property: “Call us before they waste money and time on any project,” Jamie suggested. “There are steps to everything that needs to be done, and it’s best to call an expert. Bids and quotes are always free, so let us direct you.”

For more information, call 231-238-7001.

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