While showing homes lately, I’ve been amazed by how many home owners haven’t winterized their homes yet.

1. Make sure to cover your Foundation Vents.  If you don’t have foundation vent covers, you can pick them up at your local hardware store.  This will help keep your home warm and your pipes from freezing.  Make sure to remove the vents in the spring to allow airflow throughout the crawl space to dry up any leftover winter moisture.
2. Clean your rain gutters out!  Snow eventually melts into your gutters.  Make sure they’re clean to allow them to work like they’re supposed to.
3. When you leave town, make sure that your heat is set at 50 degrees or greater.  I’ve shown too many homes over the years that have been freezing.  At 50, your pipes shouldn’t freeze.  I had a listing in Bend a couple of years ago where the owners were trying to save a few bucks on their heating bill.  The result was thousands of dollars in damage from a broken pipe.
4. Check your furnace and/or fireplace.  Make sure to change your filters in your furnaces.  Have the furnace checked by a certified inspector to ensure its in working order.  If you have a wood-stove or fireplace, make sure to have your chimney swept before the first use.
5. Check all exterior doors and windows for leaks.  Install new weather stripping if needed.  Having all exterior doors and windows sealed properly can save you bundles on your heating bill.
6. Make sure to test all smoke alarms and replace if necessary. 

More winterization tips from MSN.

Follow these tips to make sure that your Bend home ready for winter.

Tags: Real Estate Market, real estate //