Fall months quickly pass, and winter’s just around the corner. As much as we’d all like it, it’s more than just the holidays and the cold weather you need to plan for. Whether you already have tenants or are looking for new ones, you’ll need to adapt your property to prepare for the upcoming months. We understand if you have reservations about making significant additional investments into a place you’re not living in. However, your rental is still somebody’s home, so you want to make it as comfortable as possible. To help you do that, we’ve put together a list of tips for winterizing your rental property.
Clean out your gutters
You probably don’t think about your gutters very 0ften. They’re not very flashy and are just on your roof doing their thing. However, they can quickly fill with leaves, branches, and debris during the fall. A clogged gutter can be the source of quite a few problems. Excess moisture is not good, and the built-up debris can become heavy. That can even cause your gutters to break off. Of course, you want to avoid it, especially during the moving season. If you prefer cleaning them out on their own, don’t worry! You can call for services to help you do that.
Add insulation to the attic
If your rental has an attic that is not insulated, now might be the time to change that. The lack of insulation from the ceiling can make the house quite hard to heat up. The best way to insulate the attic is to add insulating material such as fiberglass or mineral wool to the floor. It’s a relatively simple job, so you can do it yourself without involving handymen. However, if you use the attic for storage, you must clear out the space first. Using a storage facility is your best bet for avoiding cluttering the living space while installing the insulation. One of the best ways to select a suitable storage facility is to look at multiple reviews left by previous customers. That can almost certainly save you from any possibly unpleasant surprises. Plus, you won’t have to worry about misplacing anything important.
Take care of your pipes
Cold winters are typical in a big part of the US. If your rental property is in an area where temperatures drop below 32 degrees, you must ensure your pipes don’t freeze. The best way to do so is to keep the water running at least once a day from all your faucets. That may seem wasteful, but it’s much less expensive than fixing a busted pipe in the middle of winter. Apart from that, you can (and should) increase the temperature in your kitchen and bathrooms. It’s always better to take these steps before your pipes burst and create many problems.
Prevent the heat loss
Keeping your place warm in cold winter is crucial for your tenants’ overall comfort. You want to keep the cold air from coming in and isolate the heat as much as possible. To do this, you should seal all the small cracks and holes in walls, floors, and windows. Also, even if your windows don’t seem damaged, you still want to check that they’re airtight. If not, the heat will be coming out, and being inside won’t be as comfortable.
Stock up on winter supplies
One of the key steps in winterizing your rental property is ensuring that your tenants have anything they might need. If the place is in an area with a lot of snow. The same goes for any other tool for battling a cold or emergency supplies. Some of the objects you can consider adding are:
- Ice scrapers
- Antifreeze
- Emergency lights and batteries
- First aid kits
However, make sure to keep these objects organized. While they are an excellent addition to the house, the clutter may be off-putting to some tenants.
Clear out the yard
While the focus of winterizing your rental property often focuses on its interior, you shouldn’t forget the exterior either. If your rental is in an area with a lot of snowfall, you need to prepare your yard for it, so it doesn’t get damaged. Trimming the trees is highly recommended, as some branches may break off due to snow and wind. Also, if there are any outdoor structures, you should also take care of them. Professionals at Peasley Transfer & Storage suggest moving any mobile structures, for example, swing sets, indoors during the winter. That will ensure they don’t get damaged by moisture and the cold. Once the spring comes around, you can quickly move them back into the yard.
Check your detectors
With the increased heating and gas usage, fires and carbon-monoxide-related accidents are much more common in the winter. Anything of that kind happening in your rental would be tragic, which is why you should do everything in your power to prevent it. For starters, you should change the batteries in all your detectors, both smoke and carbon monoxide. You should also test them to see if they’re working correctly. Of course, if they’re not, you must change them immediately.
With all the work that needs to be done, winterizing your rental property can be a handful. However, there are many more benefits to it than there are downsides. Dealing with all the maintenance and minor repairs on time can save you from more considerable expenses in the future. It will also increase the value of your property, allowing you to make more money from it. If you already have tenants living there, they will appreciate the improvements, and any potential new tenants will prefer a rental that’s up-to-date with everything. Either way, you will benefit from sprucing up your rental before winter.