Tips from ID8 to Get Your Home Ready for Winter

There’s nothing worse than a frozen pipe in the winter! After you give your lawn it’s final trim, make sure you remove all hoses from your faucets and store them for the winter. It’s also important to drain your sprinkler systems and cover/insulate outside faucets.

When the leaves fly in the fall it’s easy for them to get clogged in your gutters. Before the flakes fall this winter take the time to remove all debris from your gutters. Clogged gutters can lead to damaged exterior surfaces and water in basements (nobody wants that!).

Next on our list to prep your home for winter, put all outdoor furniture into storage. The freezing and thawing during winter can damage your outdoor couches and chairs, so put them away somewhere dry to help them last longer.

We know the winter months bring chilling temperatures in the Midwest, so it’s important to keep the warm air inside and the cold air outside. Check your weather stripping and make sure it’s doing its job. If you notice a draft in your window, now’s the time to re-caulk. Take a peek in your attic or crawlspace and look for rays of light in the corners and fix any insulation issues.

A broken furnace on a -30 degree day can cause a lot more issues than cold toes, it’s important to get your heating system ready for winter. It’s inexpensive to call a professional for a quick service check, but if you don’t want to spend the money make sure you take the time to clean your furnace yourself and change the filter.

Pro tip: A clean filter can decrease your utility bill!

Keep your lawn healthy in the winter months and fertilize your lawn. It’s also important (and saves you a lot of headache in the spring) to check and trim your landscaping for dead or damaged tree limbs. Do you have a damaged area in your lawn? It’s also a good time to seed a new lawn!

We’ve all experienced those winter mornings where you look out your window to see nothing but white and a driveway full of snow. SNOW DAY! If you’re able to work from home, we recommend having a designated area planned for a home office and now is the perfect time to get it ready. Being prepared for a snow day will help you still get work done while working remote, because let’s face it, we know there’s at least one snow day in our winter forecast! If you want more tips on home office design check out this blog.

During the summer months our garage gets flooded with all the things: bikes, grills, your latest DIY projects. Now is the perfect time to tidy things up and make room for your vehicles. You'll thank us during that first frost when you're not out freezing your hiney and scraping your windows at 7 a.m. ????

To prevent freezing, make sure you dump out any remaining water from your sump pump hose, roll it up, and store it away for the winter. It'll be ready for you next spring! If your hose is left connected for the winter the pipe will collect water, freeze, and expand the hose and cause blockages.

Make the switch and put away your summer gear and replace it with your winter gear. Put your lawnmower away for the winter and let your snow blower take it's place. Pull out the shovels and parkas and get ready for the cold! 

Our team member Jamie lives in Florida and works remotely (Yes, we're jealous too!). She shared her steps for winterizing her home too and you'll notice they are a little different than ours.

1. Say a prayer of thanks that your house survived hurricane season. Hurricane season officially ends in November.
2. Clean off your patio and patio furniture (now that it is cool enough to spend time outside).
3. Change your HVAC unit's air conditioner and thank it for serving you well over the summer.
4. Pour a glass of wine and enjoy!