It seems like winter comes around faster and faster with each passing year. With the climate changes that are affecting locations all over the world with freak weather conditions, you can’t even bank on knowing what sort of weather you will be faced with.
It is, therefore, highly important that you prepare your home for the winter months and be organized enough that whatever weather comes your way, you are safe, warm, and with plenty of food.
1. Ensure You Have Enough Fuel
With some winters being so harsh, you should make sure that you have enough fuel on-site to get you through the long hard winters ahead. Stocking up on wood for your wood burner is something that you should do even without thinking about it.
However, if you also use propane gas tanks, you should also make sure that you have a stock of these too. Winter can be a particularly harsh time and the last thing you want is to find yourself cut off from the rest of the world, cold, and without a means of getting warm.
2. Stock Up with Long-Life Food Supplies
With this in mind, you should also take time to stock up on long-life food supplies, such as tinned, jarred, and dried foods. These items tend to have extremely long shelf lives, so they will keep for months. However, it is important when using these types of food that you carry out a stock rotation, to make sure that the items with the least amount of shelf life left are consumed first.
Of course, it is not just store-cupboard ingredients or tinned, jarred, and dried foods that are an option for you. You can also stock up your freezer too, but again, be sure to carry out a stock rotation so that nothing gets missed or ends up freezer burnt and unedible.
3. Prepare Your Grounds for Winter
You should also be sure to prepare your grounds for winter. If you find that this is a too larger job for you to do on your own, there is a full service property management company option to take advantage of. They will ensure that your grounds are well kept and be able to provide you with a snow removal facility when the snows come.
4. Check Outbuildings and Car Storage Areas for Damage and Unwelcome Guests
When putting your outbuildings and car storage area to bed for the winter, you will also need to check that there is no building damage, as this could weaken the property structure. This could – under the weight of heavy snow or rainwater – result in a catastrophe and rebuild in the warmer, dryer months.
Not only this, but you should also ensure that you do not have any unwelcome visitors making their homes in the warm, shelter, and safety of your outbuildings. Many animals hibernate through the winter months or look for perfect spots to bed down. The last thing you want to do is walk in on a sleeping bear or find that you have a family of raccoons moved in next door.
Final Thoughts
The winter months can be bad enough when the cold wind blows and the snows come. However, it can be a darn site worse if you have no heating, limited food supplies, and feel cut off from the world, while watching your outbuilding slowly collapse and fall apart before your very eyes. On top of this, knowing that there is either a bear or a family of raccoons making full use of the facilities that you have unwittingly provided for them isn’t great.
