Easy Ways to Winterize Your Home and Save Money

This is another guest post from my friend Anum Yoon who blogs over at Current on Currency.

Today’s practical post will discuss ways to save money by making your home more efficient in the cold weather.  Floridians and Texans, find another article!

The winter chill has set in. There aren’t too many parts of the country that have escaped the bitter cold and snow. You don’t want to go outside unless you absolutely have to — maybe a quick run to and from the car.

If you’re not a fan of winter, this is going to be a long three months or so. You’ll be inside more, and the only good news is that you’ll have more time to do some the things around the house you may have been putting off.

Also, winter isn’t a booming season for construction, so you might be able to get some discounted prices on materials or projects. Take a look around the house and see which rooms need your attention most.

Winter is a good time of year to attend to your DIY projects or hire out the ones that require professional help. Here are a few investments you can make in your home this winter to improve your living space and add value to your home.

Have Your Furnace Serviced

If your furnace is going to die, it’s probably going to happen on a weekend in the middle of the coldest part of winter. That’s just the way it goes. Better to pay to have it checked now than to pay a lot more later.

Hire a reliable, trusted professional to service your furnace and hot water tank yearly or as recommended. They will make sure both are in good working order and that the filters have been changed for optimum performance.

A professional service can identify any potential problems or maintenance issue before they cause you problems in the winter. If they recommend replacement, feel free to seek a second opinion, but don’t delay too long.

You don’t want to risk being without heat and all the problems that can cause. A new furnace will increase your home’s value and may generate some return on your investment at the time of sale.

Update or Replace Insulation

Your furnace is working hard to heat your home. What a waste of energy and money if the heat is escaping through your roof, wall spaces, or cracks and crevices throughout your home.

If you are confident in your abilities, it might be simple enough to add a few rolls of insulation in places where there is an apparent need. Another idea is to have a professional come out and inspect your insulation.

They may discover leaks you weren’t aware of. Some companies use tiny pieces of insulation that they can spray into your attic. These pieces fill in all the open cracks and areas where leaks can occur.

Other spots you can attend to yourself include the electrical outlets, hot water tank and hot water pipes. You can purchase DIY insulation kits for these areas and accomplish your goals with minimal effort. You can also caulk windows and doors and add weather stripping to stop cold drafts and leaks. The less cold air coming in, the less money going out.

Buy an Energy-Efficient Garage Door

While you are insulating the rest of your house, you might want to consider your garage as well, particularly the door. When that garage door comes open, it’s the biggest open space into your home. All that cold air comes rushing in and hits the outside walls of the interior.

While you have to open and close your garage door, you can cut down on energy costs by purchasing an insulated, energy-efficient garage door. You can keep the inside of your garage at a more consistent, comfortable temperature. It will make any garage projects more tolerable, even in the winter. Your furnace won’t have to work as hard to compensate for the cold air seeping in. It makes sense to have an insulated garage door even if it isn’t attached to your house.

Purchase Energy-Efficient Windows

You know if you have good windows or not. If your rooms stay relatively warm in the winter, they are quality windows. If it feels like the wind is blowing through your living room, your windows are either in poor condition or you left one open.

Investing in Energy Star rated windows will cost a lot of money, but it will save you an average of 12 percent on energy costs. You also may qualify for an energy rebate from your local utility company or state government for making the investment and saving energy. In time, they will pay for themselves. Rotting, drafty single pane windows will continue to deteriorate and, at some point, you will be forced to replace them.

If you think you might be selling your house soon, consider new windows a wise investment and selling point. There is no guarantee you will recoup your money, but your house will be more saleable than your similar neighbor’s house with old windows. Regardless of your intentions, it’s money well spent. It would just be nice if all that money could buy you a better view, too.

Hook up to Smart Thermostat

Instead of wasting money and energy heating your house while you’re at work, hook it up to a smart thermostat you can control online. You can set up a schedule so your thermostat lowers the temperature while you’re gone but starts heating back up before you come home. If you encounter a change in your schedule, you can just log in and make adjustments from your desk at work.

A smart thermostat potentially will save you money, but more importantly, it will give you the ability to control your energy use. You need to look no further than a family member to realize we all have a different idea of what a comfortable temperature is. You’ll still fight over the thermostat.

Improve Your Home This Winter

Things break down, and they don’t always work the way you want them to. But generally speaking, money invested in your house will make it more appealing, more comfortable and more valuable. Plus it’s your home. What better place is there to spend your hard-earned money? Winter will pass before you know it. Wouldn’t it be nice to go into spring already having accomplished some household projects for the year?

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Comments

  1. JoeHx says

    I’ve got a smart thermostat – a Nest to be exact – via a rebate program from both my electricity and gas companies. Cost around $80. It’s already paid for itself several times over!

    • Syed says

      That’s great I would love it if our local utility company would help subsidize smart thermostats.

  2. SMM says

    I think BGE is offering smart thermostats for free (my friend recently got one). I got a free programmable one from them years ago; the only problem is I can’t control it online. I may call them up soon and see if they can come and switch it out.

    • Syed says

      Interesting I might have to get in touch with BGE and check it out.

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