When you own a seasonal home of any kind (camper, park model, cabin, lodge, or perhaps a beach house,) you need to make sure that the structure and property are winterized before extreme temperatures come calling. You’re not using or even monitoring the property for around half the year…so what can you do when you’re not there?
Use these tips to winterize your seasonal home and ensure that it will stand the test of time.
Top 10 Ways to Winterize Your Seasonal Home
Take a look at the top 10 ways to winterize your home. You may not need to complete all these tasks to prepare your home, but you can create a checklist that is easy to complete before you close up the property for the winter season.
- Clean the interior
- Check supports for the structure
- Turn off electrical appliances
- Drain water tanks
- Drain the water heater
- Remove any other water sources
- Bypass the water heater
- Add antifreeze to the water system
- Cover campers
- Cover windows
Why Winterizing Homes Matters
Winterizing your home is such an important part of owning the property. Remember, letting a home sit over the winter is far more dangerous than living in it. You can’t afford to just let the heat run all winter, and you’re not there to run the water and use the facilities in the house.
As a result, winterization protects the home from extreme temperatures because you’re not there to do so yourself. If you ignore this important process, you could suffer from:
- Burst pipes
- Damaged fixtures
- Roof damage
- Leaks and more
- Rodent infestations
- Structural insecurity
- Catastrophic system failures
Is the Power On or Off?
Some people own seasonal homes that have power running throughout the winter. If that is the case, you may choose to set a program on your thermostat and run the heat intermittently throughout the winter.
However, most people own campers or beach houses in seasonal areas where the management company turns off the power and water in the winter. Because this is a common practice, you need to complete all these steps to protect the house for the full season.
Even if you can afford to come down to check on the house, how often are you really doing so? Be honest with yourself before committing to a schedule that’s difficult to keep.
Contact The Budde Agency for More Information on Home Insurance and Winterization
Reach out to our team at The Budde Agency for more information on winterizing your seasonal home and insuring the property. You need to take very good care of this home to ensure it can stand the test of time. Do a bit of the legwork yourself, but remember that you need to make sure you have the best insurance coverage for the home to handle those worst case scenarios.
