It’s that time of year again in Buffalo where it’s blue skies and sunshine one day and 4 feet of snow in a blizzard the next which of course means its time to make sure your home is ready for the fight. Here are some easy & cheap ideas you can use around the house that can end up helping you save hundreds, even thousands of dollars throughout the winter season.
1) Piping
We’ve all heard the stories of how disastrous it can be to have one’s pipes freeze and burst within their home resulting in thousands of dollars in repair costs. But fear no more these cheap and easy suggestions will take those troubles out of sight and out of mind. Be sure to insulate your pipes with special in stores pipe wrap, always keep your heat above 55 degrees Fahrenheit, keep sinks at drip for a constant flow of water through the pipes, open up bathroom or kitchen cabinets with water pipes located underneath them to help the heat reach the pipes, last but not least always keep your garage door closed if its connected to the house.
2) Heating Systems
It’s always a good idea to stay on top of your heating system right before the cold season starts to roll around every year to make sure you don’t run into any issues DURING the cold season which could result in you not having a functional furnace. Simple and cheap tasks you can do to prevent any inconveniences is by simply changing your furnace filters to make sure they’re clean and calling a contractor over for a simple furnace check up and tune up to make sure everything’s running smoothly.
3) Drafts
We’re all familiar with the dreaded drafts some of you older home owners will mostly experience which can result in loosing the majority of your in-home heat making you cringe later on when you see your monthly heating bill. Fear no more for the draft snake is here. This simple little bag filled with sand is extremely cheap to buy in stores and even super easy to make at home. The draft snake will eliminate cold air from rushing inside your home from under doors and keep you from having to break the bank on that heating bill.
4) Window Care & Insulation
During the winter seasons will obviously come the winter snow storms which can be brutal on your home especially for your windows. Depending on how bad these snow storms can be in the area you live you might want to invest in buying storm windows for your home. Storm windows not only help to insulate your house but are also made of extremely thick glass that can withstand most flying dubre that hits it such as hail, snow, ice, branches, etc. If your only interested in the insulation side of things you can buy special plastic wrap window kits at your local home improvement stores for very cheap that can save you lots of money on that heating bill in the long run.
Hopefully this information was helpful on your journey into winter preparation for your home and always remember to stay connected with Red Door Real Estate online or on Facebook for more helpful blogs, event information, and of course the latest and hottest listings on homes and apartments.
By Matt Kopf
