5 Home Maintenance Tips For Winter
Winter can be rough on a home, particularly in cold climates. Whether shoveling snow off your driveway or fiddling with a broken thermostat, home upkeep turns up a notch as temperatures drop. That said, the best way to prepare your property for the winter hardships is to do a home maintenance roundup.
Whether you’re putting your home on the market or staying put, winter maintenance should be on your radar! At Mark Spain Real Estate, our experts recommend following a home maintenance checklist to ensure your property survives the winter woes. Below, we’ve compiled a list of our top home maintenance tips for the winter season.
5 Home Maintenance Tips For Winter
Get an HVAC Tune-Up
The last thing you need during the dead of winter is a broken heating system. Not only will these leave with a severe case of the shivers but also a costly repair bill! The best thing you can do for your household comfort and budget is to schedule a professional HVAC tune-up before winter ensues. Doing so will ensure your system is up to date with industry standards and can take on the harsher winter weather conditions.
Clean the Gutters, Roof, and Outdoor Spaces
Clogged gutters and damaged roofs are something to look out for during the winter. If your gutters become jammed from leaves, dirt, or other debris, rain runoff and melted snow won’t successfully disperse. 
This can cause snow to freeze and form damaging ice dams or icicles. Though this will be one of the loftiest tasks on your winter home maintenance checklist, it will be well worth it. You can also hire a professional to take care of this task.
Add Insulation
Your HVAC maintenance will go to waste if you don’t optimize your home’s insulation. Any air leaks from attics, basements, crawl spaces, and walls will make it difficult for your HVAC system to heat your home correctly. As a result, your indoor comfort will suffer, and your utility expenses will skyrocket. Before winter begins, do a quick inspection of your home to ensure each room is adequately insulated and vents are closed in unused rooms. When you do have an HVAC professional come to visit, they will then do a second walkthrough to ensure everything is tight and sealed.
Check Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors
While tightly sealed doors, windows, and other openings ensure property insulation, they also limit your home’s fresh air flow. As a result, your household is at higher risk of gaseous buildup from smoke or carbon monoxide. For this reason, it’s essential to inspect your home’s smoke detectors and ensure everything is working correctly. Do a walkthrough of your house and replace batteries where needed. Typically, smoke detectors expire and should be replaced every ten years.
Adjust Ceiling Fans
Last but not least, this simple and cost-free step is a staple for your winter maintenance checklist. Adjusting your ceiling fans to make them run clockwise will give your HVAC system an extra hand to heat your home. 
With reversed motors, your fans will force warm air that rises near the ceiling down to the living area. Doing so will not only help out your heating system, but it will also save you some energy expenses as you make room to adjust your thermostat to a lower temperature. It’s a win-win!
Sell or Buy a Home with Mark Spain Real Estate
If you need some home maintenance advice for the winter, trust that we have the answer. With decades of industry experience, our professionals know what it takes to maximize a home’s potential during the colder seasons. Whether you want to put your house for sale or stay in it for the long haul, our experts can help your home look and feel its best! Check out our Guaranteed Offer Program for the potential to receive a competitive cash offer on your home in only 21 days. Contact our agents today!
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