Winter means variety maintenance headaches for your property. It feels like a frozen pipe is inevitable in these winter storms. While SecondKeys is ready to help when things go wrong, we also have a few tips on how to keep your property in good shape this winter.

1. Leave the heat on.

A higher electric bill will always be cheaper than replacing a pipe or calling a maintenance person. Make sure that filters are being  replaced regularly and that the thermostat stays at a good temp.

2. Keep up with your pipes.

Make sure that all of your outside pipes stay drained to avoid freezing. There's actually foam padding you can add to your outdoor pipes to keep them safe in the cold.

3. Watch out for cracks.

Check your doors and windows for cracks that lead to leaking air. A breach can be more costly than you think. Leaking heat wastes your utilities and may risk winter damage inside your home.

4. Check out your roof.

Heavy snow can lead to all sorts of damage on your roof. A few loose shingles now can lead to significant leaking once the snow weight is put on. Check over your roof, chimneys, and gutters for any possible damages.

5. Clear out the trees.

Speaking of heavy snows, there's nothing less convenient in the middle of winter than getting a whole punched through your home. Heavy snow means weaker limbs falling out of trees. Be smart and get those limbs cut before they get the chance to fall.

6. Make sure the heat is all good.

Depending on where your property is, this might be the first time those heaters have been cranked on all year. Make sure that ventilation and wiring is maintained and up to code. We all want a warm home for winter, but a house fire might be over doing it

7. Don't forget those vacant properties.

An empty property can't maintain itself. Be sure to keep up with checking in on vacancies. Those properties wont be placing any maintenance requests if things go wrong. It's best to keep a regular routine of checking up on them during the winter.Predicting winter damages is near impossible, but using these help tips might keep you and your residents out of the cold this winter!