Are you planning to go away this winter? Maybe you’re taking some time to relax with family for the holidays, take a ski trip, or take a break from frigid New England by escaping to a beach somewhere. You probably know what you need to do to get you and your family ready, but have you thought about how to get your house ready? We’ve put together a list of some things you can do before you go away to ensure that you don’t come home to an unpleasant surprise.
Prepare your home for cold, wintery weather
In a perfect world your heat will stay on the whole time you’re away and this won’t be an issue but sometimes the world isn’t perfect. If winter weather knocks out power, even for a day, frigid temperatures can cause pipes to freeze. In the worst case, the frozen water expands and pipes burst, causing a mess. Depending on your home, how you protect your pipes may vary, but it’s important to take one or more of these steps to prevent frozen and/or burst pipes.
If you can, turn off the main water supply to your house- don’t do this if you live in a multi-unit building or have an fire suppression sprinkler system. It’s also a good idea to check with a professional to make sure this is okay for your hot water heater and furnace.
After you do this, drain your pipes by opening the faucets, then close all but one of them. Leaving one open allows excess water and air to drain and acts as a relief valve in case your pipes still somehow freeze.
Insulate any exposed pipes, especially those that are outdoors, in your basement, or in your garage (this is a good idea to do as general prep for winter- check out our previous blog post for more ways to prep for winter).
Leave room doors open and open cabinet doors under your sinks so the heated air circulates and no one room gets a lot colder than the others.
If you’re not able to turn off the main water supply, leave one of your faucets on a slow drip. This helps in two ways- running water freezes at a lower temperature than still water and even if it gets so cold that the running water freezes, having a faucet open will provide a pressure relief outlet, making it less likely that the pipes burst even if they do freeze.
Make sure to leave both the hot and cold water on a slow drip- these lines are separate systems so leaving one open doesn’t provide relief for the other.
Use a faucet as far away from where the main water line enters the house as possible- this will keep water flowing through the most pipes.
Drain yard sprinkler lines if you have them.
Secure outdoor furniture or move it inside so it doesn’t blow into your neighbor's yard, the road, your windows, or anywhere else it shouldn’t be.
Prevent your house being easy target for burglars
If you have a security management company let them know that you’ll be away.
Reviews.com has a good review of monitored and unmonitored DIY home security systems.
Put a temporary hold on your mail or ask a friend or trusted neighbor to collect it for you- a bunch of mail piled on your front porch or spilling out of your mailbox is a sign for potential burglars that no one has been home for a while.
Hire a professional or ask a friend to clear snow from your driveway, front walkways, and sidewalk while you’re away.
Uncleared driveways and walkways are another sign to burglars that you’re not home, plus in many towns in Massachusetts homeowners are responsible for clearing sidewalks and can be fined if they don’t.
Buy and set up timers for lamps to go off and on periodically to make it look like someone is home, or better yet if you have smart light bulbs turn them on and off periodically.
Turning lights on and off with your phone is better if possible because it means the lights won’t be on a predictable schedule, giving a stronger impression that someone is really there. To learn about smart light bulb options, check out our blog post.
Put any hidden spare keys inside or give them to the friend who’s keeping an eye on your home.
Make sure all windows are shut tight and locked (this also helps keep your heating bill lower and prevents frozen pipes).
If you have a garage, park your car in the garage and ask your friend to drive and park in your driveway when he or she comes over. If you don’t have a garage ask your friend to drive your car occasionally so it’s not just sitting there constantly (this also will help your car run better when you return).
Keep your house fresh and clean for your return
Empty your fridge of any perishable foods and eat or give away any opened non-refrigerated foods, both to prevent smells developing and to prevent pests being attracted to your kitchen.
You can also place an open container of baking soda in the fridge to absorb any odors that may develop.
Keep closet doors open- this can help heat circulate to prevent pipes freezing (see above) and can also prevent musty smells from developing.
Pour a half-cup of bleach into the bowl of your toilets to prevent odor- and stain-causing bacteria build-up; if you’re away for a month or more you may want to ask your friend/neighbor to flush the toilets (adding some bleach after) and run the water while they’re at your house.
If you have a garbage disposal run it, then mix a half cup of white vinegar with a cup of water and pour it down.
Prepare your house for maximum energy efficiency
Unplug as many appliances as you can- this reduces the amount of electricity used and also reduces the risk of fire from a short or from rodents chewing on cords.
Set your hot water heater to vacation mode or turn down the temperature.
Make sure your smoke detectors are in good working order and have fresh batteries, or better yet replace them with the kind that have sealed 10 year batteries.
Turn down your thermostat (but don’t go too low so it’s less likely your pipes will freeze in the event of a power outage).
Finally, leave your emergency contact info and your itinerary with contact info for any hotels you’re staying at with a friend or family member. Hopefully this list can help you prepare for a low stress vacation without having to worry about your house, and can make sure you come back to a fresh, clean home. If you have any questions or want any more info please be don’t hesitate to ask!
*Picture from https://www.usatoday.com/story/weather/2015/03/05/boston-snow/24322409/
#winterproofyourhome #winterize #coldweathertips #christinemccarronrealtor #bostonreguru
