Keeping your home in top shape with advice from real estate expert Bryan Nazor
It seems as though we’re racing through fall and winter is right around the corner! With the changing of seasons comes a new set of challenges and chores to keep up with. We’ll be swapping dead leaves for snow, dealing with lower temperatures, and taking some preemptive action against all the potential dangers the threat of ice brings.
According to Bryan Nazor: “Maintaining a personal checklist of maintenance tasks is something every homeowner should be doing. What’s really important is making sure you update your list for the seasons, because every new season brings its own unique challenges when it comes to keeping your home safe to live in and looking great.”
The basics
If you live in an area with heavy snowfall, you’ll want to take the obvious precautions. Take inventory of all your essential winter equipment, and replace anything old enough that it might not function properly. Shovels, snowblowers, ice picks, the works.
You’ll also want to stock up on snow salt if you don’t have a healthy supply on hand already. Spreading snow salt around your house is an easy, effective way to prevent slips and falls, and will also make it easier for you to clear any snowfall out of the way. Bryan Nazor warns us not to forget if you have a sidewalk, it’s most likely your responsibility to keep it clear of snow as well, not just the pathway to your house.
Protect your outdoor furniture
This is a seemingly obvious, yet oft-neglected aspect of home care in the wintertime. Your patio furniture – tables, chairs, etc. – mostly likely aren’t built to withstand the elements as well as you think they might be. Bryan Nazor urges us to take the time to move our outdoor furniture inside before heavy weather. If you don’t have the room inside, Bryan Nazor suggests investing in a heavy tarp. Just make sure it completely covers everything and is heavy enough to not blow away during a particularly nasty storm!
General maintenance
Bryan Nazor has a lot of good tips for winter maintenance, but there’s something he wants us to take special heed of: “Clean your gutters!” He explains, “Every once in a while, you’ll see people leaving leaves and twigs and all the fun stuff that comes with fall in their gutters before the first snowfall. This is a horrible mistake to make. Without being able to drain properly, the built-up snow can lead to leaks, easier flooding, and potentially irreversible damage to your drains.”
It’s absolutely preferable to make sure those gutters are cleared out than it would be to have to replace an entire drainage system.
As long as you’re up there, take a good, hard look at your roof. Inspect it thoroughly for any damage, cracks, holes, or missing shingles. While this isn’t ideal in any weather, it can be a particularly large nuisance during a winter storm. Melting snow can cause leaks that you’ll be wishing you caught in the warmer months.
What it all comes down to, Bryan Nazor tells us, is common sense, vigilance, and the motivation to ensure your home is the best possible version of itself during any season. Stay warm, stay safe, and good luck with your winter preparation!
