Those often dreaded winter months can not only be harsh on your own personal physical and emotional wellness as you are stuck inside the annual snowstorm, but it can also be harsh on the overall wellness of your home. Which is why it is important to be proactive and take action against those dreaded cold-weather terrors and keep your house in tip-top shape this winter so you can have better luck selling it in the future. Not only will prepping your home for the upcoming winter help you to reduce energy costs, but it will also help you increase the efficiency and overall lifespan of your home and it’s value.

10 Tips to “Winterize” Your Home for a Good Sale

1. Freeze-proof exterior faucets – Does the thought of a bursted pipe make you shutter? Us, too! The outdoor pipe is the most susceptible to extremely cold weather, yet still one of the easiest to freeze-proof. Remove your outdoor hose and replace your existing hose faucet with a freeze-proof faucet in no time.
2. Maintain your washer & dryer – A washer left unattended can release hundreds of gallons of water in less than an hour. A dryer not properly cleaned out can erupt into flames, causing a house-fire. Prevent mishap by replacing your washer’s old rubber hoses, and replacing the dryer’s flimsy, vinyl duct with a metal duct.
3. Give your aged fire-place a face-lift – Make your home cozy and warm on a budget with these easy DIY fireplace updating tips.
4. Service your heating system – Believe it or not, you should have an annual check-up for your furnace. WIthout proper cleaning and inspection, your heating system can quickly wear itself out. Schedule your annual inspection today and increase your home’s heating efficiency, as well as save yourself on energy costs this winter.
5. Seal up the cracks – Purchase some color-matching caulk and walk the exterior of your home, filling in and sealing up cracks around the trim, siding, doors, and windows. This will help prevent moisture from getting in both your home and cracks –another energy saver!
6. Clean out the gutters – Clogged rain gutters are more susceptible to “ice dams.” Clean out all leaves, etc to ensure your gutters aren’t trapping water, causing sagging in your gutters and extra, unwanted wear-and tear.
7. Prune your plants – This is a great time to prune your plants and trees, as the summer growth is over. Trimming back branches, etc will again help keep moisture from dripping onto your home and, in the long run, causing unwanted damage.
8. Inspect each appliance – Complete your annual appliance inspection to ensure everything is working properly. While you are doing your inspections, be sure to pull out the fridge, stove, washer, dryer, etc and clean the dust from behind and underneath. This will help to prevent dirt build-up, which can easily cause house-fires.
9. Remove screens – Remove your screen windows and replace with storm windows to help with drafts and possible snow/ice damage this upcoming winter.
10. Hit the roof – Well, not literally. But be sure to give your roof a close inspection, looking for any loose or missing shingles that could link in a possible winter storm. If need be, be proactive and hire a handyman to fix the missing shingles to keep your house up-to-date for all winter weather.

And most importantly, when you are finished with your outdoor home prep, move indoors and cozy up on the couch with your favorite blanket + a cup of hot cocoa and enjoy the chilly weather with your loved ones. Now that you’ve worked hard to keep your home in tip-top shape, you can sit back, relax and enjoy the holidays with family and friends!

Have further questions on how you can prolong your homes value for a future sale? Give us a call at 419-586-6427 today.