Protect your worthy investment

We may have become complacent with milder than usual weather so far this year. This weekend’s weather serves as a reminder that it does get cold here and can stay cold for extended periods of time. You have made a huge investment in your real estate and you want to make sure to take good care of it. Some common-sense measures to protect buildings can easily be overlooked with recent mild weather leading to complacency among some.

Those of you with landscape irrigation systems no doubt have had them professionally evacuated long before now. Often overlooked though are hoses attached to the structures’ outdoor faucets. Even with frost-free faucets, freezing temperatures can creep through your building’s plumbing and cause damage which may go undetected until thawed once again. Make sure your hose bibs are free from appliances that could conduct the outside temperatures.

Seal windows and doors. Many first-time homebuyers have no experience with winterization. Since a landlord or parent has been protecting their investment they may have not educated their former tenants with proper methods of winterization. Here are some simple things you can do to help you survive the winter.

Caulking around windows inside the home flexes with temperature changes and can become detached allowing cold air to creep in. Pull back your window coverings and look for gaps between your window frames and walls. Caulk any cracks you discover with painter’s caulk to seal them so you can paint to match later. Single-pane windows can leak a lot of heat. You can install storm windows to provide another layer of protection or cover your existing windows with a plastic film to help minimize heat loss. Kits are available at most hardware stores.

Weather stripping around doors becomes worn with use. Many doors too will contract with colder temperatures leaving energy-sucking gaps to let heated air escape and trade places with frigid air. Installing new weather stripping is relatively easy. We are pretty sure you will find at least several YouTube videos to show you how to perform any of these tasks.

Many are sure to keep their homes energy efficient but may forget about recreational vehicles or that newly-purchased cabin. These need a little help to make it through winter unscathed too. If these will not be used through the winter you will likely want to drain their water systems. Your RV should have a system to pump anti-freeze into the water lines to prevent them from freezing. Your cabin or other building that will sit idle through the winter should have its water turned off and plumbing drained. Any seasoned real estate agent can tell you stories about broken toilets and tanks where the owner forgot to drain those and to pour in some anti-freeze to make sure the drains did not break when winter hit their unheated structures.

It is winter in North Idaho. That means it is time to enjoy all that winter has to offer. Even if your activity consists of wrapping yourself in a warm blanket and enjoying a hot beverage, you will enjoy winter more if you take a few precautions to prevent the catastrophes the season can bring.

Trust an expert…call a Realtor. Call your Realtor or visit www.cdarealtors.com to search properties on the Multiple Listing Service or to find a Realtor member who will represent your best interests.

Kim Cooper is a real estate broker and the spokesman for the Coeur d’Alene Association of Realtors. Kim and the association invite your feedback and input for this column. You may contact them by writing to the Coeur d’Alene Association of Realtors, 409 W. Neider, Coeur d’Alene, ID 83815 or by calling (208) 667-0664.