Anybody who has lived in the Downbeach area for a while can tell you: winters here get downright chilly! In fact, we typically experience below freezing lows for weeks on end. When something goes wrong while renting, you call the landlord. Then, they send someone over to fix it. When you own a Jersey Shore home, that burden falls squarely on your shoulders. If this happens to be the first home you own, you may not be prepared for some common wintertime homeowner issues. So, I thought I would tell you what to watch out for and how to tackle those issues before they become huge problems.
How to Prepare for Common Wintertime Homeowner Issues
Higher Heating Bills
The first of the most common wintertime homeowner issues you may face is your heating bill going up. It’s a fact. Lower temperatures mean higher heating bills. If you lived in an apartment or smaller home before, the increase in your heating bill may come as a shock. One way to prepare is to contact the utility company. Ask them about previous wintertime usage at your home. At least this provides a picture of what you might expect so you can budget accordingly. It might be time to invest in a smart thermostat to help you regulate your HVAC usage properly and lower your costs.
HVAC System Breakdown
Speaking of HVAC, winter is not the time you want it to break down. First, contact a local HVAC company for a check-up of your system. Next, they may need to clean out your ducts. Dust accumulation hinders the ability of your HVAC system to work efficiently. It also wears down the system faster by making it work harder. If they offer a regular maintenance service, it might be well worth the investment.
Frozen Pipes
Another one of the common wintertime homeowner issues we see at the Jersey Shore is frozen pipes. But the pipes are not the only things affected by cold winter weather. Hoses freeze up as well. And if you own a second or vacation home here, you run an even higher risk of frozen pipes due to long periods of vacancy. Frozen pipes quickly turn into burst pipes. In turn, this becomes a huge headache as well as a financial burden. Avoid this by winterizing your pipes. If you plan on being away from your Downbeach home during the winter, consider turning your water off altogether. Unhook all exterior hoses from their spigots, empty them of any remaining water, roll them up, and store them away. Leave the faucets and exterior spigots open to allow any water inside of them to drain out.
Frazzled Fireplace
Finally, let’s address the fireplace. There is a good chance that this gets used quite a big during a Jersey Shore winter. Unfortunately, the fireplace also accounts for 87% of residential heating fires in the US each year. How? Primarily from creosote buildup and blocked chimneys. To avoid this common wintertime homeowner issue, hire a professional chimney sweep. And please, do it sooner rather than later to lessen your chances of an emergency situation.
Sherri Lilienfeld, Apex Prime Realty, Your Source for Jersey Shore Real Estate