Take Care of Your Home This Winter

We often don’t think about all the ways we need to take care of our homes but we think about it even less during the holiday season. We are so busy decorating the tree and wrapping presents we forget about the little things we can do to help take care of our home and prevent maintenance issues. Here are just a couple reminders of ways we can take care of our home this winter.

• During the day open your blinds – I know most people leave their blinds shut more frequently in the winter but it is important to open them or raise them up just a few inches during the day to let the sunlight in and prevent a buildup of moisture on your windows. By lifting your blinds off the window ledge or opening your blinds up you can help preserve your windows.
• Don’t leave your outdoor hose attached all winter – This can save you tons of money in repairs if the hose were to freeze and burst. Often times when we are getting ready for winter we forget about the hose because we aren’t using it, but it is important to make sure it isn’t attached to the house to prevent any water freezing in there. They also make exterior faucet cover’s that you can place over your faucet to provide a little insulation for the faucet to prevent freezing.
• Replace furnace filters monthly – It is so important to your home to replace your furnace filters monthly! By replacing it monthly you are benefiting your family but also your furnace. When a filter is left too long it can get a buildup of dust and pet dander and start to work harder because of decreased airflow through all the collection of dust. By changing this filter monthly you will also help reduce your home’s heating costs. When your furnace doesn’t have to work as hard, you save money.