Prepare Your Home for Winter with These 5 Quick Tips!

You’ve probably pulled out the winter gear this week, but have you winterized your home yet? As we enjoy the fall weather, it’s a great time to think about how you can protect your property by preparing for winter here in the Twin Cities.

Here are my favorite quick tips that many homeowners may not think about, but can make a huge difference this winter.

1. Clean your Vents and Radiator

You know that smell when you first switch on the heat for winter? It’s not just unpleasant, it’s a reminder that your vents could use a good cleaning.

Removing any dust and debris from your furnace, vent covers, and air intake covers increases the ease of airflow. This can lower your heating bill, extend the life of your heating unit, and help keep your home at a comfortable temperature.

It’s also a great time to change your air filters. As we turn the heat on and pull out winter clothes and decor from storage, this can stir up mold, dust, and other allergens. A new filter can reduce the sneezes, itchy eyes, and freshen up the air in your home.

Change your furnace filter while you’re at it, and have a technician check to make sure your furnace is running to its full capacity.

2. Protect Your Pipes to Prevent Problems

Pipes can freeze over winter, causing expensive damage. Spend a bit of time before it gets too cold to check your pipes to ensure they’re properly insulated. Water damage and plumbing issues lead to extensive repairs and years of uncovering hidden deterioration.

Remember to drain your sprinklers and turn off the water in your outdoor spigots.

3. Before You Fire Up the Fireplace, Check for Nests

There’s nothing better than a warm fire in winter. Be sure your fireplace is ready for those first warm-and-toasty memories this winter, by checking that your flue is operating correctly and your chimney is free of any nests.

If your chimney isn’t capped, it’s a great time to look into this (before they get fully booked for the winter).

4. Trim Those Trees Before Snowfall

Winter storms and ice can do serious and costly damage to your home. As snow and ice weigh down tree branches, limbs become more likely to fall and break. This risk is multiplied when we experience one of our winter storms. If you use a tree trimmer, ask them to come out and assess your trees and remove any damaged limbs.

5. Clear Your Gutters

Clearing your gutters can also save you money and headaches. If you noticed icicles last year, be sure to remove any debris from your gutters now. While icicles can give your home that picturesque feeling, they can also lead to ice dams. Ice dams can trap ice and water in your gutters that can spread to your roof, walls, and ceiling. This can lead to structural damage to the roof, gutters, and shingles.

Clear your gutters soon, to avoid roof leaks in the spring.

Have a wonderful winter in our slice of wonderland.

Winter stirs up a wide range of emotions, from challenging conditions to picturesque quiet snowfalls. Here’s to more of the latter this year! I also love to assist homeowners with listing their homes during this unique time of year. If you have any questions about buying or selling your home during the winter, please give me a call. I am happy to discuss how we can make this winter the perfect season for home sales.

 

 

Image credit: USGirl | iStock | Getty Images Plus

Should I List My Home in Winter?

Every year the same question arises: “Should I list my home in winter?” And the resounding answer is “Yes!”  While many people believe that spring is the best selling season, this is simply untrue. The market does change and conform to the seasons, and these changes often benefit sellers, especially when it comes to listing your home before spring arrives. The number of transactions are definitely higher in the Spring, but you’d be surprised at the number of homes that sell in the heart of Winter.

The truth is there are buyers looking for homes every month of the year.

Why Should You List Your Home This Winter?

1. Simple Supply and Demand: You Have Less Competition

The most appealing draw for many sellers to list in the wintertime is that there aren’t as many properties for buyers to cruise through. This means you may be more likely to achieve that asking price or even have multiple offers with a reasonable amount of time.

Come spring, there are a ton of options for buyers to choose from, many of which have just completed renovations and upgrades. So, listing in winter can give you an edge.

2. Winter Buyers Tend to Be More Serious

Many people have built-in time off around the holidays, so they schedule their house hunting during these times. This means they’re ready to shop and ready to buy.

Many winter buyers have set time frames that revolve around the new year, and relocating for work. This makes them very serious about finding a place. Why? Because they have a deadline.

And you probably know what deadlines mean: quick closing dates.

3. You Can Create a Different Kind of Curb Appeal

So what if you don’t have a green thumb? It doesn’t matter in winter! In fact, winter offers a unique form of curb appeal. You can show buyers how homey, warm, and inviting your place can be during the holidays.

So, let the kids build snowmen, hang the lights, and wrap the garland around your mailbox, buyers will surely fall for a home they see as cozy, cheerful, and charming all year long!

Don’t forget to carry your decorating through the inside of your home this time of year. We have some tips for you, here!

4. You Can Show Off How Well Your Home Handles Our Winters

Do you know what people love in Minnesota winters? Garages and well-insulated homes. If you can offer these features, they make your home very appealing in the wintertime. Fireplaces have a huge draw come winter as well. And nothing feels better than walking into a cozy home, after facing freezing temps and bitter wind.

5. First Time Parents Often Look During Winter

This is one of those patterns that reappears year after year: new parents want to upgrade in winter. The majority of children are born towards the end of summer and into fall. And within a couple of months, their parents realize they’ll need a bit more space. So, they begin house hunting. And new parents often want to make the process run as smoothly as possible, which means easy closing.

Deck Your Halls and Prepare to List Your Home

While winter is cold, it doesn’t mean the market is too. If you’ve considered listing your home in the near future, it’s time to take the next step.

If you have questions about the current market or how to prepare your house to hit the market, please give me a call. I’ll brave the snow and ice to help you sell your home this winter!

 

Image credit: tab1962 | iStock | Getty Images Plus