We can’t believe it’s already November! Welcome back to the #KTQuickTips blog! In episode 89 we bring you your November maintenance checklist.
As real estate agents, we often witness how well and how poorly homes are maintained. We’ve compiled a long list of often neglected items that require virtually no time and money to address that will not only save you money in the long run but also keep you safe.
As we transition from the cool and comfortable Autumn to bitter cold Winter, there are a number of important tasks to complete at home to ensure both you and your house are in great shape.
Smoke and CO Detectors
A great rule of thumb is to check the expiry dates and batteries in your detectors whenever Daylight Savings rolls around. Your smoke detectors typically have a lifespan of 7 to 10 years and need to be replaced to ensure they’re working in the event of an emergency. This is not one of those things you want to neglect!
Furnace
It’s getting cold and you’re likely to be flicking the switch from cold or off to heat on your thermostat. This is a great time to change your filter and service your furnace to avoid any unwanted failures this winter.
Hose Bibs
If you don’t have a frost-free hose bib, you’ll want to make sure you’ve closed all valves for exterior hose bibs to ensure you don’t have any frozen and burst pipes. All you need to do is locate where the pipe for the hose bib extends into the house. Here you should find a lever or knob that you can use to close the valve, preventing water from reaching the exterior hose bib. Once you’ve closed it, head back outside and open the valve on the outside to allow any excess water to drain. You can leave it open all winter in case remaining water doesn’t drain fully and expands as it freezes. This way it has somewhere to go!
Also, remember to put your hoses away. Disconnect any accessories like a sprinkler, hand sprayer, etc. to allow water to drain and put everything away for the winter. Leaving these items out over the winter will likely result in a damaged or inoperable hose/accessory in the spring.
Watch the full video below and feel free to leave a comment. To get a jump on the December tasks, watch the December checklist on our Youtube channel.
