Winterizing Your Rental: Tips for the Tenant & Property Owner
Chris Swift • November 22, 2016
With Winter on the horizon, there are few key things to remember to help protect your home. Today, we want to share four things you can do if you are a tenant and want to save energy in your rental throughout the cold winter months. Likewise, we have four things you can do if you are a property owner and have a vacant home that you want to protect.
For the Tenants
- Clean out the gutters. Removing all leaves and other debris allows for gutters to be used effectively and avoids buildup of ice.
- Install curtains. Not only can curtains add personality to your rental, but they have been known to actually save energy throughout the winter months by adding an extra layer of protection between the outdoor temperatures and the inside of your rental. Not only that, but curtains are easy to install and can be taken with you to your next home whenever it’s time to move again.
- Use your ceiling fans! Everyone knows that ceiling fans provide a reprieve in those sweltering summer months, but did you know most ceiling fans have an option to reverse direction in order to push warm air downward in the winter months? Just check to see if your ceiling fans have a switch to change the fan blade direction. If they do, be sure to save energy in this way.
For the Property Owners with Vacant Properties
- Clean out the gutters. As mentioned above, removing all leaves and other debris allows for gutters to be used effectively and avoids buildup of ice.
- Get your HVAC checked. Whether your HVAC is dated or newer, it’s always good to have your HVAC checked out to make sure it’s working efficiently. Additionally, changing the air filter in your HVAC can help to improve the efficiency in no time.
- Turn down the thermostat. This may seem like a no-brainer, but it’s amazing how many property owners forget to do this simple task. Turning down the thermostat will reduce your use of energy throughout those months, especially if the home is vacant and isn’t needing to be warmed often. Just be sure to keep the thermostat higher than 55 degrees.
If you have any questions about winterizing your home please contact McGraw Property Management & Leasing at 918.592.6000.
Share this post
Owning an investment property can be a great way to accomplish your financial goals, but it takes a lot of work to manage your investment well. Here are ten reasons why you should consider hiring a property management company to help manage your investment.
Bad property management can quickly become an investor’s worse nightmare—leading to poor cash flow, reckless tenants, late payments and a slew of legal issues. The good news is that there is relief in sight when choosing a reputable company to help protect one of your life’s biggest investments. Why Hire a Property Management Company? So […]
Real estate investors who find themselves covered up with the 24/7 responsibilities of being a landlord can get weary, frustrated, and stressed. Nobody likes to be on call constantly, particularly when your phone rings with emergency maintenance needs during the night. Although it’s rewarding to purchase multi-unit properties and single-family homes, it’s not always easy […]
