9 Winter Tips for Homeowners

The 9th Day of Christmas Making the Holidays Count-Down is bringing you 9 winter tips for homeowners. Check them out at the link in our bio.

1. Decorate Smart

When decorating your home for the first time or for the 20th, it’s always smart to be cautious with lighting. Do your best to avoid that scene in the Christmas Vacation where Clark Griswold has a million intertwining extension chords and power strips. Use LEDs for less heat but just as much impact.

2. Avoid home fires

Home fires increase during the winter months, often due to either furnaces or Christmas trees. Servicing your furnace is an easy step to take to reduce your risk of home fires. Also, don’t forget to water your tree! Dry Christmas trees are a magnet for fires.

3. Prevent Frozen Pipes

Preventing frozen pipes can be as easy as setting your heat to no lower than 55. This can ensure the water in your pipes won’t freeze and cause major issues. Another easy step to prevent this is by letting your faucets drip slightly during the colder months.

4. Save on Heating

There’s a really easy way to save on your heating bill. Seal up any cracks or large openings like on window sills or under doors. You can do this with caulking or with installing weather stripping. Both inexpensive and relatively easy to install.

5. Prep Your Steps

Avoid a liability nightmare and salt your steps or doorways. It’s such a simple way to make sure your guests or yourself can safely enter your home.

6. Don’t neglect the exterior

With the Christmas lists never-ending this time of year, don’t forget your exterior in all the rush. Checking on your gutters and roof shingles can be helpful to keep your house in tip top shape all year round. This can prevent ice damming, or leaky roofs.

7. Consider a Generator

Prepping for power outages is super important as a homeowner, especially as a resident of snow-prone areas. Consider installing a generator in your home, or getting one that is small and portable to power the important things in the case of a blackout.

8. Be Ready for Anything

Get prepared for anything that could happen during the holidays with some simple emergency items. Flashlights, extra batteries, fire extinguisher, food and water for a blackout, and other small preparedness items. Putting together even a small emergency kit can help save yourself some trouble.

9. Get Insurance

This one may seem obvious but your home should be insured, always! Home insurance should be the top of your list. We can help you get quality coverage for the right price. Contact us here.