It’s time to prepare your property for the seasonal transition of fall to winter. With plummeting temperatures, ice, wind, snow and other treacherous weather conditions, knowing that your property and its tenants will be protected over the coming months should provide you peace of mind. Here are our best tips to winterizing your property.

Winterize Your Exterior

First, inspect the exterior of your property. Look for any cracks in the foundation of the property and get those fixed as soon as possible. Also check for any splits in the driveway porch or sidewalk. Sealing those before the colder weather hits will help prevent slipping, tripping or other injuries to your tenants.

If there are any exposed pipes around the house, make sure that they are covered and insulated. This will help prevent freezing and cracking, which could lead to more damage. Doing this to interior pipes in colder areas of the property would also be beneficial.

Check around the property, especially on the roof, for any leaks. Repairing these before the snow falls will help prevent water damage, which could lead to even more costs come summertime. If there have been leaks previously, make sure to re-inspect those areas.

Your final maintenance task is to ensure the property grounds are clean. This means trimming and covering any bushes, slimming down tree branches and removing any tripping hazards from the ground that could be dangerous when covered in ice or snow. If there is outside furniture, ask your residents to secure it with things like tarps or take it inside to store it over the colder months if possible.

Depending on where you live, snow removal could become an unexpectedly lengthy task. If possible, provide your tenants with durable shovels, salt and other ice melters to allow them to get outside safely whether there is an emergency or not. Also, get in contact with the local snow removal company to ensure your property is included on their routes.

Winterize Your Interior

Having functional heating systems throughout the winter is crucial. Call an inspector in and have them examine your furnace and water heater. They both need to provide proper ventilation and service to heat your home. It is also smart to change the furnace filter at this time as well.

Check all your windows and doors for drafts or gaps. This can lead to energy loss so make sure to seal them with resources like caulking or tape.

Lastly, prepare your tenants with an emergency kit. You never know when they will be in a situation where they are trapped in their homes without power and a lack of resources. Include items like blankets, water bottles, non-perishable food items, flashlights with plenty of batteries and a map of the property, indicating where important features like the circuit breaker, water shut-off valve and more are.