How Homeowners Can Prepare for the Winter Season

How Homeowners can Prepare for the Winter Season

The fall season is officially upon us now; the calendar says so, and, across the county, the weather is slowly but surely beginning to agree! As the leaves start to change and the temperature grows a bit chillier, homeowners might begin to think about ways in which they can prepare their homes for winter. They may even bring their inquiries to the members of their local HOA board—so it is vital to know what you are going to tell them!

Homeowners might first consider preparing the parts of their home that receive increased use in the colder months—like the furnace, and the fireplace/chimney. It is always a good idea to have an annual inspection of your furnace, from an HVAC professional, and to ensure that your ducts are clean and everything is working smoothly; better to have this inspection done now than wait for a potential problem to appear, during the bleakest days of winter!

As for the fireplace, if you plan on actually using it this year, you might call out a chimneysweep. Another consideration is affixing a screen or cap to your chimney, as a measure to keep rodents and birds out of your home.

In the interest of keeping the home warm and energy bills low, homeowners may check each door and window and make sure there are no holes or leaks through which air can escape. Sealing these leaks is often as easy as applying a bit of caulk.

There are plenty of considerations for homeowners to make with regard to their plumbing. The last thing in the world you want is pipes that freeze and then burst, but you can go a long way toward avoiding this by disconnecting all external hoses (turning off the faucets is not enough). Also make sure you know where the main water shut-off is, simply in the event of an emergency.

There are other measures homeowners can take to winterize their properties, and we may turn to those in a future entry; for now, the autumn is an ideal time to make sure you are ready for whatever the cold weather may bring!

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Bryan Kuester

Bryan Kuester

Bryan is the CEO of Kuester Management Group. He has over 15 years of managing community associations throughout North and South Carolina.

His specialties include Community Association Management - maintenance, budgeting for operational and reserve funding, long-range planning, covenant enforcement, amenity management, onsite management, large scale management.