Are you listing any vacant homes this winter? If you are, now is the time to make sure that they have been properly winterized. If you don’t winterize the home, significant damages could occur and lower the property value as a result.

What Can Happen Without Proper Winterization?

When homes are occupied by residents, many of the things that need to occur for a home to remain in good condition will happen naturally. When homes sit empty, it’s important to make sure that winter problems like burst pipes don’t take place. If a single pipe bursts in a vacant home, the water can ruin everything in its path. Some vacant homes with burst pipes require tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of repairs to remedy the damaged electrical components, walls and floors.

Winterize the Vacant Homes You Are Listing

To winterize the vacant homes that you have listed, you should start with the pipes inside and outside of the home. Any areas storing water, including water heaters, should be drained completely. A plumber can use an air compressor to get water out of pipes. Since the pipes and water sources will all be drained, you can also cut off the heat to save money.

Next, you should hire a professional like Clean Sweep to thoroughly clean the gutters. Any debris left in gutters can lead to clogging and additional water damage. Gutters should be repaired before winter so that the weight of ice and snow will not pull them away from the home or off entirely. Ice dams are also a big concern in vacant homes, where they are often not caught until it’s too late. Ice dams can lead to mold on the inside of your home and damage to the exterior of the home. A gutter cleaning and inspection can stop these before they materialize.

Finally, you should also make sure that the fireplace and chimney are in great condition. A chimney that is not structurally-sound could experience damage over the course of the winter, as ice and snow accumulate. Since the home will be vacant, it’s also important to make sure there is no way for animals like mice or birds to get inside.

Work with Clean Sweep Maryland

Winterizing your vacant homes does not need to be a struggle! Call Clean Sweep chimney, Gutter & Slate service today at 410-558-1111 for professional service designed to help your listed homes retain their value.