Are you wondering how to winterize a house? Let me show you 6 ways we do it, Arizona Style!
Hey there! I’m Lindsay, a proud Anthem resident and your local REALTOR® with the Wise Move AZ Team at Realty ONE Group. If you want to stay up to date on all things Anthem and Real Estate then you need to subscribe to our YouTube Channel. Pro Tip: You’re also going to want to hit that little bell icon while you’re there, so that you’re the first to know when our new videos are posted every single Thursday!
So I know that lots of people are coming across our YouTube Channel and blog because they’re considering a move to Arizona, and looking at the title of this post, many of you are probably thinking ‘do Arizonans even know what winter is? What could they possibly need to do to winterize their homes?’
Before I moved to Arizona, I probably would have said the exact same thing. I mean at this point I probably don’t remember how to defrost a windshield and I definitely don’t need room in my garage for winter tires or a shovel. That being said, although our winters are absolutely beautiful, there are still things you need to do to keep your home in great condition for many years to come.
If you’re curious about the weather in Anthem, Arizona, you can click here to watch a video where I show you what to expect month by month.
Let’s jump in and get 6 ways to prepare your Arizona home for winter:
Prepare your Yard:
I know they say ‘save the best for last’ but this one is just too fun to not do first. During the winter months, we can get frost overnight or in the early morning hours. Like anywhere else, these cooler temperatures can wreak havoc on our plants, but don’t worry, here in Arizona we’ve got it all figured out. For the most part, the indigenous plants aren’t as susceptible to frost damage and you don’t have to do anything, but if you have plants that aren’t originally from this climate they may need some protection. You can throw sheets over small plants and shrubs to protect them. You’ll also want to cover the tips of your non-indigenous cacti. What? Yup, you heard me right. Many of cacti you see are originally from Mexico, the Caribbean, or South America, and they can be susceptible to frost damage. So, how do we do this? Well, we have a couple of options. We have your traditional cover, we have your festive cover, and we have your budget cover. Anyways, if you do this your cacti will be safe from the frost AND they’ll be a new decorative addition to your yard when there is frost. You’re welcome! If you’re not sure when there will be frost, don’t worry, it will be all over the news, you can’t miss it!
Look Up
Now that monsoon season is behind us we need to take care of our roofs. Take time to clean out any debris from your eaves troughs and make sure that water flows through them properly. This includes making sure they are diverting water away from the house. Also, if you have solar panels, they need to be cleaned. If you’re comfortable you can do this yourself using a hose, soapy water, and a non-abrasive sponge. If you’re like me, and there is zero chance you’re getting up on the roof, then you can hire someone to help.
Flush you Water Heater
Now that it’s cool enough to get outside for extended periods of time, you can pop out to the garage and flush your water heater. This is important because it will get rid of sediment that can build up in the tank due to regular use, and it can extend the life of your tank. Not sure how to do this? Click here to watch our tutorial on how to do this quick and easy home maintenance task on your own. Trust me, if I can do it, it’s not that hard.
Change your Fans
In the summer your fans should be pushing air down towards you. This usually means it’s spinning counter clockwise. In the winter, you want to change this so that it is pulling air up towards the ceiling, which in turn helps to bring the warm air down. This usually means having your fan spinning clockwise.
Test your Heater
You may not need it today, but when the first “cold snap” hits, you want to make sure you’re ready. For many of us, it’s possible that your heater hasn’t run in almost a year, so turn it on, make sure it’s working, and then turn it back off until you’re ready to use it. If it’s not working, you’ll still have time to service it before it’s time to turn it on.
Sunscreens
Do you have sunscreens or solar screens on your windows? If so, you may want to take them off in the winter months to let in more of our beautiful Arizona sunshine. In the summer, they can really help to keep heat out of the house, but in the winter this isn’t as much of a concern. We like to take them off and store them in the garage until the spring or early summer. Just a quick word of caution, the clips on the sunscreens can become brittle after a long summer in the Arizona heat and they can be costly to repair if you break them, so be careful when taking them down.
So, there you have it! What do you think? Getting your home ready for winter is pretty darn easy here in Arizona. Once you decide what kind of hat your cacti will be sporting, you’re basically halfway there.
If all of this has you thinking, ‘yeah, I could move to Arizona’, then you’ll definitely want to download our guide: ‘Moving to Arizona? 10 Reasons to Choose Anthem”. You’ll find a link to that right here.
If you’re a snowbird and you need to get your home ready for an extended absence, then you’ll definitely want to check out the video I did with Henry Barrie of Barriecade Home Watch Services to find out what you need to do before leaving.
