Top Tips to Prepare Your Home and Yard for Winter (Part One)

With the changing of the colors of the trees in the Sierra, it only means one thing: winter is on its way.  With that said, our team at Sun Bear Realty & Property Managment in Incline Village decided to dedicate this Blog to winter home preparation.

Now that the temperatures are dipping into the mid-30s overnight, we suggest you get started on these winter home preparation tips sooner rather than later.

Clean Your Gutters:  With the rainy season upon us, this task is always at the top of our list.  Inasmuch as we love the fall-colored leaves from the trees that wrap around our property, we don’t love what could happen if they clog the gutters. The water has to go somewhere, and the last place you want it to go is down into your foundation, basement, and walkways.

Check your Downspouts and Drainage Areas: While we’re talking about the rainy season and snow to come, add this to your list.  Take a walk around your property and look for low-lying areas that may cause water to run in and around your home’s foundation.  The last thing you want to have is a nearby creek detouring under your home.

Clean and Inspect Your Chimney:  This task goes hand in hand with the gutter cleaning project.  If you are comfortable with inspecting and cleaning your chimney, you might as well complete this important task while you are up on the roof.  If you’d prefer not to handle this one, there are many professional chimney cleaning services in Lake Tahoe and the Truckee region.

Cut and Safely Stack Wood:  For those of us who still enjoy the ‘sport’ of finding down trees, cutting and splitting them to the appropriate size to fit our wood stoves, and stacking them for future use, now is the time to commence this annual project.  Not into it? A simple search online will find you plenty of options for others who enjoy this laborious task of delivering it to your front door.  Just be sure when you stack the wood that you keep it at least 30 feet away from the side of your home.

So that's your "to-do" list for this week. Watch for more tips on how to prepare your mountain home for the winter in our blog later this month.