Is your home prepared for a freeze?

 

We don't usually get "real" Winters in this area. If we dip below freezing over night it's usually just one night here & there during the Winter months. We rarely see snow and can go years without the worry of ice on the roads. This year is NOT that year. We've already seen a FULL day of snow that stuck, you could still see snowmen up to four days later. But that week was no where near as cold as the coming week is looking to get! With temperatures struggling to get above freezing for close to a week it's good to be prepared. 

Stock up on necessities. You don't want to have to brave potentially ice covered roads to get to the grocery store or pharmacy. If you have prescriptions to pick up or need to plan for meals for a few days do that in advance of the winter blast that is coming. You may even want to plan for kids to potentially be home for a few days as here in the Southern states schools will often close if the roads become unsafe. 

Keep your house warm. Keep the thermostat set no lower than 65 (even in your vacant or investment properties). Leave interior faucets on a drip to keep water flowing. Open up those cabinets just a bit to keep warm air circulating around the pipes. Cover the outside spigots to keep them from freezing, especially if the property is vacant. 

Make sure your vehicles are ready. If you need to get out you will want windshield wiper fluid that does NOT freeze when you use it. With the roads being treated they will be messier. Rain turns to sleet, turns to snow and back to rain. Northern areas that see snow regularly are far "messier" during the winter months because of this. Check your anti-freeze and make sure those diesels get plugged in! 

Protect your pets. Bring the small pets inside, this is no weather for them to be outside, especially over night. Blankets and extra hay for your large animals too. If your large animals don't have shelter make sure you find a place where you can take them to get shelter, they depend a lot on their own body heat so make sure they can keep it. 

Protect your landscaping. If you have potted plants you may want to bring them inside. Nice landscaping in the yard may need to be covered for a while. Be prepared to trim back AFTER we get through our freezing weather. 

Our family has spent seasons of our life living in colder climates, so we do have a bit of experience (and some funny experiences/stories) from it. We've loved living in areas where we have a true four season experience, but we've also loved living in the south where we get so many more opportunities to spend time outside all year around. 

If you have questions about how to help protect your home feel free to reach out! I'd love to help!

Michelle@TM5Properties.com