🏡 Justina’s Winter Prep Checklist: Keep Your Home Cozy & Costs Down! ❄️

As a real estate professional, I see countless homes each year, and one of the biggest factors in a home’s comfort, value, and year-round efficiency is how well it handles the changing seasons. With winter fast approaching, now is the critical time to make sure your home is properly winterized.

This isn’t just about saving a few dollars on your heating bill—it’s about protecting your biggest asset from potential damage and ensuring a comfortable living environment when the weather outside is inclement.

Here are the most effective things you can do right now to prepare for the colder months!

1. Seal the Envelope: Stop Air Leaks! 💨

Air leakage is the number one enemy of energy efficiency. Cold air sneaking in (and warm air escaping) forces your furnace to work overtime and your bills to tick up, up, up.

• Tackle Drafts: Go around your home with a light piece of tissue paper or, if you don’t mind a little smelly stuff, a lit incense stick or a thin piece of paper near windows and doors. If the smoke or paper moves, you have a leak! Apply weatherstripping around doors and caulk around window frames and any exterior penetrations (like where pipes enter the house).

• Insulate Outlets/Switches: Use inexpensive foam gaskets behind the cover plates of electrical outlets and switches on exterior walls. You’d be surprised how much air they let through!

2. Protect Your Plumbing: Prevent Frozen Pipes 🥶

Burst pipes cause catastrophic damage and are entirely avoidable! They can also be a major red flag for prospective buyers down the line when you have to disclose previous water issues and leaks.

• Drain Exterior Hoses/Faucets: Disconnect all garden hoses and drain any water remaining in outdoor faucets. If your hose bibs aren’t frost-free, turn off the water supply to them indoors and open the outdoor faucet to allow any remaining water to drain out.

• Insulate Exposed Pipes: Pipes in unheated areas like basements, crawl spaces, or attics should be covered with foam pipe insulation. It’s cheap and easy to install!

• Know Your Main Shut-Off: Make sure every adult in the house knows the location of your main water shut-off valve in case of an emergency.

3. Service the Heating System: HVAC Health Check ✅

Your furnace is your home’s winter heartbeat. Don’t wait until the first major cold snap nor for it to stop working to check on it.

• Change the Filter: This is the easiest and most important maintenance task. A clean filter allows your system to run efficiently, saving energy and extending its lifespan. Check it monthly and replace it when dirty.

• Schedule a Tune-Up: Have a professional HVAC technician inspect and service your furnace or boiler. They’ll check for carbon monoxide leaks, ensure all components are functioning safely, and maximize your system’s efficiency.

4. Reverse Ceiling Fans and Manage Insulation 🌡️

Use physics to your advantage! Warm air rises, so you need a way to bring it back down.

• Reverse Fans: Switch your ceiling fans to run clockwise at a low speed. This pulls cool air up and gently pushes warm air (trapped near the ceiling) down the walls, recirculating the heat without creating a chilling draft.

• Check Attic Insulation: If you haven’t recently, inspect your attic insulation. If it’s patchy, compressed, or insufficient, you’re losing a massive amount of heat through the roof.

By investing a little time and effort now, you’re not just preparing for winter—you’re investing in the long-term health and value of your home. A warm, efficient home is always a better home to live in and to eventually sell!

Happy winterizing and if you have any questions, you can always reach out to ask me!