The best way to take care of your investment property and the tenants who live there is to plan. Preventative maintenance and having the right services on-call are the key to happy tenants and keeping your property in good condition. Before fall and winter, it’s best to perform preventative maintenance against cold-weather problems and to plan for any services you might need on-demand during the cold season. Here’s how and why to plan for fall and winter maintenance early.
Why Plan Ahead for Fall & Winter Maintenance
- Fortify against winter storms
- Ensure cold-weather systems are working
- Prevent known fall and winter maintenance problems
- Have services on-call for winter emergencies and storms
Test Furnaces and Have Your HVAC Serviced
When the cold weather rolls in, everyone fires up the heaters. While there’s always an hour of scorched-dust smell, are the furnaces in working order? Is your HVAC strong enough and the elements in good repair to provide heat for your properties? If you manage an apartment, schedule service for the building’s heating system.
If you manage homes (or apartments with individual heaters), work with your tenants to schedule an HVAC service for each home. With a quick inspection and taking care of spotted damage immediately, you can ensure of your tenants have a less chance of freezing in a winter repair emergency.
Insulate Pipes Against Freezing
No one likes a burst frozen pipe. The mess, danger, and damage to the house are more than any tenant or property owner wants to deal with. The best way to prevent frozen pipes is to insulate pipes before the first winter freeze. Run heating wire or wrap pipe insulation anywhere that pipes are exposed and accessible, including the basement and attic.
Prepare Your Landscaping for Cold Weather
Landscaping responds to the seasons differently. If you have a regular landscaping service, reduce your scheduled services, and talk about winterizing your green spaces. Have flowering bushes and delicate flowerbeds wrapped or replant more winter-friendly varieties. Local plants are more likely to handle your local weather with less maintenance.
Clean and Guard Your Gutters
Before leaves and debris clog your gutters, have them maintained. Get your gutters cleaned, then install gutter guards to prevent the usual fall and winter obstacles from forming dangerous, even harmful, dams on the edges of your building. Good gutter care early in the autumn season can ensure your buildings stay in better repair all winter long.
Have Your Roofers On-Call for Winter Storms
Finally, have your roofers on-call. Fall and winter storms can be serious and roof damage is often left to leak and get worse through the winter. If any major storms blow through you want reliable winter-ready roofers ready to go. Find a trusted team and let them know you will call if roofing is needed during the winter.
Winter is a time when your tenants want to stay cozy indoors and when maintenance issues often become emergencies. You can take good care of your properties and your tenants by planning for fall and winter maintenance.
