If you’re a seller with a vacant home in winter or a snowbird heading for a warmer climate, you need to winterize your home. Winterizing involves a number of steps that safeguard your home against freezing temperatures, theft, and infestation. If you’d rather just lock the door and leave, you may be in for a shock when you return. For home sellers who have moved on to a new house, remember that your old home still needs to appeal to and function properly for potential buyers. No one wants a call from their Realtor® reporting a burst pipe and major water damage.

Below is a checklist of items to ensure that your home remains safe and secure during its vacancy. Taking these precautionary steps and investing a small amount of money to secure your home will help you avoid both loss and expensive repair costs.

Prevent Water Damage

▪ Consider turning off your water completely at its main supply source. In freezing temperatures, water can freeze inside and burst a pipe, causing major damage not only to plumbing, but also to ceilings, walls, floors, and furniture. Homes that have either an older steam heating system or a fire sprinkler system may not be able to turn off the water supply. In these cases, you’ll want to keep the heat above 55 degrees with cabinetry open to let warmer air circulate and reach plumbing.

(Side note for sellers: If your home is for sale, some buyers understand that a vacant home’s heating is kept down to save money, however the house should still be considerably warmer than outside. Many choose to keep the temperature between 60 and 65 degrees. If your own agent is showing the home, he or she should arrive early to heat up the house for a showing.)

▪ After the water is off, drain pipes by opening up faucets and flushing toilets to clear water from them. Professional plumbers often pour non-toxic anti-freeze into toilet tanks to prevent remaining water from freezing. A professional can also blow compressed air through the pipes to get as much water out as possible.

▪ Turn off and drain any sources of standing water such as fountains.

▪ Drain water from dishwashers, refrigerators (with a water dispenser or an ice maker), and washing machines. Follow the manufacturer’s directions for each appliance. Remove the water filter from inside the refrigerator.

▪ Check weather-stripping around doors and windows. Fix any deficiencies to prevent water from coming inside.

Perform Routine Maintenance

▪ Have your furnace inspected and serviced before leaving the house vacant. You want your home to continue circulating warm air.

▪ Ensure that large trees are trimmed back away from the house. Remember that icy conditions can weigh down branches that can break and cause damage to the roof, windows, and walls. Dead trees should be completely removed.

▪ Inspect your roof to ensure there are no active leaks. Clean your gutters to prevent ice build-up or clogged drain pipes.

▪ Remove or secure outdoor furniture and décor that could be blown away in strong winds.

Prevent Fire

▪ Unplug all appliances that aren’t needed, such as TVs, radios, microwaves, and toaster ovens. This helps avoid the risk of fire in the event of a faulty switch.

▪ Test smoke detectors. Invest in a detector/alarm system that automatically alerts the emergency dispatcher if it goes off.

▪ Remove potentially flammable items such as oily rags or stacks of papers.

Keep Out Pests

▪ Inspect both the interior and exterior of your home to make sure there aren’t any openings where small animals can get inside. If you have a fireplace, close the flue to keep out bats, squirrels, and birds.

▪ Give all areas of the home a thorough cleaning, especially the kitchen. Clean out the refrigerator, ice box, and even the oven. Also clean out your pantry. (Vacationers can keep dry foods if they are stored in air-tight containers.)

▪ Wash out kitchen trash containers and remove sweet smelling items that attract bugs.

▪ Place rodent repellents under the sink and in the garage.

Prevent Theft and Make Your Home Appear Lived In

▪ Set up lamps with timers in various rooms of the house, including upstairs. Time the lights to go on and off at different times throughout the evening hours.

▪ Ensure your mail is stopped or forwarded so it’s not piling up. Stop newspapers. A pile of newspapers in the driveway is a sure sign that someone hasn’t been home in a while.

▪ Have a neighbor, friend, or relative check in on the home periodically.

▪ Keep blinds or curtains on windows drawn. If your home is being shown to buyers, ensure that your Realtor® gives instructions to all showing agents that blinds and curtains be closed upon exiting the home.

▪ If you’re a snowbird away for the winter, don’t post anything on social media about being away from your home until you get back. You don’t want to advertise that your house is unattended.

▪ If you have an alarm system, keep your service active. Give the proper instructions for arming and disarming the alarm to your real estate agent if your home is on the market.

Note that there are also remote monitoring systems available that can be used to control and check the status of your home’s temperature, humidity, power, and locked doors through the control of your smart phone.

Platinum Service Realty