It’s fall, y’all. And the beginning of fall is a good time to check your home to make sure it’s in good shape and ready for winter. Well maintained homes, tend to see lower home insurance prices!
Here’s a suggested home-maintenance checklist to make sure your home is ready for winter:
- Service your furnace. Now. Once cold weather hits, HVAC contractors will be much busier and their prices may go up. Have your furnace serviced before the rush. Check out our referral list to find a great HVAC contractor!
- Unhook hoses, close the shutoff valves to your sprinkler system and outdoor spigots. Blow out your sprinkler system.
- Have a professional inspect and clean your chimney. Fireplaces used regularly during cold weather should be cleaned annually to prevent chimney fires.
- Check and replace batteries in smoke detectors. Check and (if necessary) recharge fire extinguishers. Refill first-aid kits.
- Clean gutters.
- Make sure the soil around your foundation slopes away from your house — at least six vertical inches over 10 feet. This will keep water from soaking the soil around your foundation, which could lead to cracks and leaks. Water seepage through your basement walls is rarely covered by insurance.
Regular, proper maintenance will protect the value of your home and help you detect potential issues before they become major problems.
It’s important to do these things now. Once winter sets in, it’s too late to perform many of the items on this list.
Questions about the items on this list or your insurance? Give me a call at (303) 452-6662 so we can discuss them.
