Preparing Your Home For Winter

As quickly as the temperatures rise, it is already time to start dropping again. While everyone is excited for fall or winter, it is important to prepare your home for the cooler weather. If you are a season homeowner or a first time renter, it’s very important to take the right steps to prepare your home for the colder months. By preparing your home for the colder months, you will feel more confident, cozy, and warm inside your home. With the help of our Maintance Manager, Ben Dickson, we have complied a list of tips to help prepare your home.

  • If you live in a place with a wall AC, turn it off, unplug it, and put the cover on.
  • Dust off radiators.
  • Make sure your windows seal up to prevent letting in cold air. Keep the windows closed and locked during the winter.
  • If you have a ceiling fan, set the fan to circulate clockwise. This helps your apartment stay warm without turning up the temperature.
  • Test out your heat to ensure it is working properly. If it is not, put in a work order.
  • Swap out your summer bedding for winter bedding to keep you warm while you sleep.
  • If you are using a space heater, only two space heaters can run at a time in one unit. If more space heaters are running, this will cause a power outage.
  • Buy winter essentials before the first snowfall.
  • Keep a shovel inside in case the snow is blocking the doorways.
  • Bring out or purchase a shoe tray for your boots.
  • Test your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. If they seem to be working incorrectly, put in a work order.
  • Do not turn off your heat if you are leaving for an extended period. Keep your heat set to 68 – 70 degrees to prevent pipes from freezing up and to maintain a warm unit.
  • If you have an outside area of your apartment or home, cover up your outdoor furniture or store it for the winter to prevent damage.
  • Keep furniture, curtains and blanket’s away from baseboard heaters as this will block your heat from keeping your apartment warm.

By taking these proactive steps, you’ll be on your own way to enjoining a cozy and invite home or apartment throughout the fall and winter months. Stay safe and warm in the upcoming months!

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701-371-9915

Warm Weather Maintenance Tips

For most of the Midwest, everyone is excited to be moving out of those cold dark days of winter and into the sunny warm days of spring. Since spring quickly transitions into summer in our area, spring cleaning turns into summer cleaning. With the excitement of the warm weather people tend to forget the maintenance required to keep their homes fully functioning. Here are some tips to help with the maintenance and get you back outside!

AC Maintenance

During our long winters, our air conditioners are the last thing on our mind but as the days get warmer you may be tempted to turn that dial on. Unless the temperature you are setting it to is colder than it is outside, you risk freezing up your AC. The last thing you’ll want to do after 6 months of winter is to be stuck inside all day waiting for the repair guy. Instead of using the AC, try opening your windows. Having your windows open brings in fresh cool air, which will help your house feel less stuffy after this long winter.

Time to Clean

Nothing feels better then starting a new season in a clean space. So, crank up the tunes and bust out your cleaning supplies because it is time to do some deep cleaning. Start by moving the furniture around so you can vacuum underneath it. Who knows what might be hiding under there? Also take this time to dust things that you might normally miss. Getting spots like the ceiling fan, bookshelves, and on top of cupboards will keep the air clean and may even help those seasonal allergies. This would also be a great time to rotate your closet. Change out your winter clothes for your spring and summer clothes. Put those snow boots away and bring out your sandals. You may also find that you have too many clothes from previous seasons so look at options like donations or a garage sale. I know that all sounds like a lot of work but luckily for you not all cleaning is hands on! Things like your washing machine, oven, and dishwasher have self-washing options so put in the soap, press start and let your appliances do the work.

Outdoor Maintenance

The last thing to check out is your patios. If you are lucky enough to have one, you definitely want to make sure it is ready for spring. Check things like railings and floorboards nothing should be wiggly or sticking out. When checking your deck for safety, try running the hose over the boards. Cleaning off any of that built up dirt will make the space feel a thousand times better. Also keep your eye out for bird nests and knock them down early, before any eggs have been laid. Though they seem cute, they will take over your outdoor space and can make it difficult for you to enjoy it.

I know we are already for some time with warm weather and sunshine. For a full list of seasonal maintenance items, check out this article!

Keeping these small maintenance tips in mind should make your transition into spring seamless!

Roers residents if you find anything that needs to be fixed up while cleaning please contact us!