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Buying your home at a low price has the highest potential for you to get big equity gains. But next on the list, is consistently performing the right home maintenance for your house. These 11 tips to winterize your home are timely and very important. Don’t miss out!

Just like we did with our home maintenance tips for Fall, now let’s look at what we need to do as we head into the Holidays. It’s always smart to protect your investment before the cold arrives. When things are running well you can avoid avoid unexpected and costly bills.

11 Tips to Winterize Your Home

Maintaining your furnace is critical! Three of the most important tips to winterize your home are found here. Some aren’t as tricky as you might think, especially with the wealth of information at our fingertips on sites like YouTube.

If you’re not up to it, you can always hire a professional to maintain your HVAC system. Either way, taking care of these items every year lowers your utility costs and extends the life of your system.

1. Clean/Repair Air Ducts
   It’s not as difficult as you might think if you have the right equipment. A high-powered vacuum and you’re good! If you notice any openings in the ducts, use the appropriate sealant on the gap and then wrap it from the outside with foil tape. For the record, duct tape isn’t always the recommended choice for ducts.
2. Clean Furnace
   This one can be a bit trickier. Your owner’s manual will have some recommendations if you can locate it. Primarily, we’re looking to clean out any dust and dirt in a few key locations and lubricate a few moving parts. It’s not as hard as you might think.
3. Replace Air Filter
   Here’s the easy one! Some filters require monthly changing, others every 6 months or even a year. But honestly, this is a task all homeowners should already be doing. No-brainer and simple too, don’t miss this one.

For more thorough explanations of these items, here are The Big 3 DIY Furnace Tips. Also, if your furnace has run the race and is ready to be put out to pasture, consider buying a new, more energy-efficient system. Sure, it’s a big pill to swallow but you’ll be saving dollars each and every month from here on out.

Other Tips to Winterize Your Home

The following items all deserve some special attention heading into colder temperatures.

4. Increase Insulation
   The number one way homes lose heat is literally through the roof. Consider having an insulation specialist out to give you an estimate and possibly perform the work. Although, some jobs are easy enough for resourceful homeowners to do themselves.
5. Check Exterior Doors and Windows
   Check the caulking around all exterior doors and windows to make sure there is no way for your (expensive) hot air to escape. Depending on your windows, this may be the perfect time to put those storm windows back in place.
6. Install Storm Doors
   Consider adding a storm door for greater insulation against exterior elements. Plus, they add value to the home and are useful come Spring to let more light in.
7. Insulate Your Water Heater
   Insulating your water heater is a quick and inexpensive way to save money. Home improvement stores will have various options for you if yours isn’t currently wrapped. Heating water is one of the most energy-intensive tasks in your whole house.
8. Turn Down Your Water Heater
   Big money saver here and since it’s Winter, you won’t notice it as much. But if you don’t do this one, I won’t blame you. I cherish my hot showers.
9. Prepare Fireplaces
   Fireplaces are also prime culprits for letting heated air escape your home. Whether your fireplace uses natural gas or is wood burning, will determine how you insulate any air gaps you might find.
10. Insulate Exposed Pipes
    If you have any exposed pipes in the basement, you may consider insulating them, especially if they are near exterior walls. No one wants a pipe bursting during your special Christmas party.
11. Run Your Ceiling Fans in Reverse
    If you haven’t already done this one, switch your ceiling fans over. Remember, clockwise pushes the hotter air down.

So here are the 11 tips to winterize your home and save money. There are a few others, like… don’t forget to turn off exterior, water spigots, but I’m sure you already know that.

Hope you have a super, energy-efficient Holiday Season!