Winter home maintenance is crucial to ensure your home remains comfortable and efficient during the colder months. It's essential to take proactive steps to protect your home from harsh weather conditions. If you're unsure about any of these tasks, your Helen Adams Realty agent will be happy to help. Here's an overview and some tips to help you prepare:
Routine Maintenance
One of the best, and most important, parts of your home maintenance will be your general items, no matter the time of year. You should regularly:
- Test smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors
- Clean garbage disposal
- Clean air vents
- Check and replace HVAC filters (every 2-3 months)
Exterior Maintenance
It might be cold outside, but that doesn’t mean there isn't work to be done. Here are a few items you should be doing around your home's exterior.
- Clean out gutters from fall leaves
- Schedule an HVAC check-up and inspection to ensure heaters are in working order
- Check weather stripping around doors and windows
- Trim back trees and remove any precarious limbs near roofs and power lines
- Stow away lawnmowers, outdoor power tools, and water hoses
- If your tools are gas-powered, be sure to empty the tanks of gas and oil to prevent any long-lasting issues.
Interior Maintenance
Once outdoor maintenance is complete, head inside to warm up and finish getting your home in winter mode.
- Clean and inspect chimneys and fireplaces
- Test your fireplace flue for a tight close
- Dust ceiling fan blades and switch your fan direction to clockwise - this pushes warm air down to save on heating costs
- Locate the water shut-off valve to prepare for freezes
- Ensure all pipes have proper insulation
- Clean bathroom vents
- Find or purchase a snow shovel, ice scrapers, and/or ice melts to prepare for freezing
Embrace the new season and take advantage of the opportunity to complete the cleaning and maintenance tasks from our recommended seasonal checklist. From trimming back trees to cleaning and inspecting chimneys and fireplaces, make sure to tick off all the necessary items on your winter to-do list to stay warm, cozy, and safe this winter.