An 8 min. read by Jason Gelios REALTOR®/Author

​Making sure your home is properly taken care of before, during and after winter can mean the difference between paying aa small amount versus making major repairs. 

Here are some tips for current home owners:
 
Turn down the thermostat
You may have heard this one before but it really makes a difference. Just lowering the thermostat  by 10-15 degrees for 8 hours a day can actually save about 15% per year.

Turn your water heater down to 120 degrees
Making this adjustment can save you on average 7% on your bill. Switch your fan to turn clockwise and run it at a low speed.
Running your fan anytime of the year as well as the colder seasons can help air distribute more efficiently and cause your furnace and/or air conditioner to run better with less effort.

Reglaze or replace windows
Windows will almost always lose some form of energy. After all, they are holes in your home. Reglazing or replacing windows can save you a great deal on your energy costs. Inefficient windows can cause an energy loss of about 25%!

Properly insulate your attic
In more cases than not, I have seen home inspectors tell home buyers that there just isn’t enough insulation in the attic. Adding more replacing insulation can help heat and cool air remaining in your home therefore saving you money.

Turn off water to outside faucets
The last thing you want in the middle of Winter is a pipe that burst. Simply turning off the water to the outside faucets from the inside can ensure your pipes will not burst. In addition, you can get foam covers to go over the outside faucet to help keep cold breezes from freezing the faucet and pipe too.

Maintain your chimney
Grime and soot can build up in a chimney. Making sure that you have the chimney cleaned at least every two years will ensure a clean chimney. Also maintain the parts of your fireplace so that everything runs efficiently.

Clean your gutters
During the freezing winter weather ice damning can happen. Ice forms and sits on top of your gutter causing damage, expansion and rerouting of water when things melt. A simple cleaning of your gutters can help reduce damage over the winter.   
 
These are some of the most popular ways to prepare your home for the winter months. If you have additional ideas, please share your thoughts in the comments. 

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