Our families let us know that they will be visiting us for the holidays and we get excited! Until we are not excited because we realize all the little nuances that we need to fix in the house. Here are winter maintenance tips to get done before family comes to visit. Your family will appreciate a well working home when they are visiting for the holidays.
Keep it Warm
Making sure your home is warm during the cooler months. Have your heating system checked by a professional to avoid any unexpected broken parts that result in a complete malfunction. Also make an effort to check out the insulation in your home. Good insulation will also keep your home warm during winter months. Walk around windows and doors to make sure cracks are sealed. Cracks will let in cold air forcing more use of your heating system and therefore more money spent on overworking your system.
If you have a fireplace, clean it and test it before the family arrives. You will know whether or not you need to call a professional to clean your chimney once you have tested your fireplace. If you have a gas fireplace, test your pilot light to make sure your fireplace easily lights.
Check the Bathrooms
Check your spare bathroom plumbing. Make sure toilets flush properly and faucets flow accurately. Also check that there are no leaks under your sink. No one wants a major leak period! But it could be worse when guests are over, causing chaos during the holidays.
Make sure your bathrooms are clean and that you have working shower curtains. Be sure to add hand towels ready for the washing up before meals.
Make it Comfortable
Add a few nice items for your guests. Some toiletries to the bathroom and fresh clean towels will help your family feel at home. Add fresh scents to the bedrooms to relax your guests for a good night’s sleep. A little lavender can go a long way and keep everyone in bed before Santa arrives.
To get cozy, change out the spring sheets for warm soft flannel sheets. Add extra clean blankets in the bedroom that can be used to keep family warm. Everyone will want to come stay with you with all these comforts.
Stay Careful
If by chance you already have snow and ice, make sure to keep you and your family safe. Sprinkle salt or kitty litter to your front steps and walkway to avoid any falls that could seriously injure someone. It is a good time to remove excess snow from roofs and trees to avoid falling on top of people. If icicles are already building up, make sure these are removed to avoid falling on someone’s head causing some sort of bruise or concussion.
If you need gas for your snow blowers, be sure to pick up some extra gas to have on hand. Also keep extra wood and pellets if you have a wood or pellet stove. Keeping warm and staying safe is important with wood burning stoves. Make sure your fireplaces are out before heading off to bed.
Changing our batteries in smoke detectors can help with burning fire places.
With these winter home maintenance tips, you will be prepared for the holidays and all your guests. They will be so happy they visited that they will want to come back every year.
