Empty House? It’s Time to Winterize!

It’s here. Whether you feel like it couldn’t have come soon enough or you can’t believe it’s snuck up on you once again, we’re in the thick of the holiday season. People’s schedules are busy and their minds are preoccupied with all of the things that come along with this time of year. For this reason, many see it as a dead period in the real estate industry but that’s not true for everyone. There are plenty of reasons people put their homes on the market late in the year. It could be due to a family situation or financial need. Maybe they travel for the holidays every year and figure it’s the best time to show their home with the least hassle since they’ll be away anyway. Investors may be unloading properties before the end of the year for tax reasons, or maybe someone hoped to sell their property earlier in the year and it’s still just sitting empty on the market. Whether you find yourself in any of these situations or you have a second home that’s not occupied during the winter months, it’s important to make sure Jack Frost is only nipping at your nose and not your wallet.

How do you maintain that holly jolly relationship with ole Jack you might ask. It’s as simple as winterizing your home. You can find checklists here and there that will tell you everything from emptying gas from your mower to doing an energy audit but we’re just going to focus on a few major things to help avoid catastrophe.

Lets start with, you guessed it, cleaning your gutters. I’ve gone through this fairly extensively in the last piece but it’s an important part of winterization. If your gutters are clogged and holding water or wet debris, a decent rain followed by a freezing night or snow melt during the day that freezes in your gutters can cause major problems. If you’re not there and the problem goes unresolved for any period of time you could find that your gift budget has melted away.

Now that I’ve again beaten that gutter drum, another gift I bring pa rum pum pum pum. If you’re home is going to be empty for any period of time during the winter months, take the time to ensure your heating system if functioning properly. You want to be able to enjoy all of the festivities with a clear mind instead of wondering if your old system is going to crap out on you in freezing temperatures. A simple inspection is far less expensive than having the water in your toilet tank freeze and crack the tank.

The final major point, and the most common problem people have is burst pipes. It’s not to difficult to give yourself peace of mind on this one. Make sure pipes that are exposed to outside air are property insulated. Check your garage, crawlspace, and basement to make sure pipes are protected and the pipes feeding outdoor faucets are in good condition and even drained if possible. Disconnect hoses from outdoor faucets too. If there’s water in the hose it will expand when it freezes and create pressure in the pipe. As far as indoor pipes and other water fixtures go, maintaining the heating system should mitigate that risk but if the house is going to be empty for any period of time it might be worth it turn the main water supply off and run the water out of those pipes in case the heat does fail. In the event that the house is empty for a while, you could also consider using antifreeze in places like sink drains, shower drains, tub drains, and toilet bowls. This sounds extreme and possibly harmful to the environment but there are antifreeze products used to winterize RVs and motor homes that are perfectly safe, unlike the antifreeze you put in your car. It’s easy to find at your local Lowes or Home Depot.

Lastly, make sure your doors and windows are sealed properly. You might not be able to see them, but those are dollar bills flying out your door in the form of warm air. The more air gets out, the harder your system works. Your bills will be higher and you’ll need a new system sooner.

Whether your house is empty and on the market, you’re visiting the grands, or you’ve fled to Florida until spring, take the time to ensure that your best asset is taken care of. I wish everyone peace and joy during this holiday season. If you’re planning to buy or sell a property in 2023, the time to prepare is right around the corner. Stay tuned.