Cold temperatures have arrived and the greater Cleveland area is preparing for the imminent winter weather ahead of us. The Realtors at Progressive Urban understand how hard homeowners work to take care of their homes and how important it is to prepare homes for the winter season. With that in mind, our top priority is to make sure that homeowners are making improvements to their homes that not only help to maintain or increase the value of their home, but also prevent any damage. The winter season can be an especially vulnerable time for homes in the Cleveland area. To be the most prepared you can be, we put together these 5 steps to protect your home against the winter elements: 

1. Have your furnace serviced! As soon as the temperatures drop and the heat comes on, it is a good idea to have your furnace serviced by a professional. This will help your furnace run more efficiently and prepare you for any future costs that may be down the road. 
2. Clean your gutters. Following the fall season, leaves and other debris are likely to have accumulated in your gutters. Cleaning out leaves and other debris will help prevent water from freezing, potentially causing any damage to your gutters. Maintaining your home and preventing damage will help your home maintain its value long-term.
3. Insulate any doors or windows that are leaking cold air. Not only can reducing the cold air leakage into your home help to keep your house warm, it will also help improve efficiency and potentially lower costs associated with heating your home.
4. Have your roof inspected. Another item to have serviced before the harsh cold weather, you should have your roof looked at by a professional to help prevent any further damage and prepare for any future costs. This also includes having any skylights, pipes, or chimneys inspected to ensure that insulation is sufficient and there are no cracks around the sealant that could let in water or cold air.
5. Landscape your yard. This may not seem like an obvious step, however, maintaining and cleaning up your yard before winter can help prevent damage to your windows, roof, or gutters. Winter can sometimes bring windy storms in addition to the snow and cold weather that can cause untrimmed trees to lose branches. By inspecting any trees on your property, you can remove any dead or dangling branches that could threaten to break a window or take down your gutters.

Need a recommendation on any professional services? Ask your Realtor at Progressive Urban! Still involved in the home buying process? Ask your Realtor when viewing a home what items may need attention for winterizing so that you are better prepared for what is to come. The Realtors at Progressive Urban are more than happy to help you out.