5 Essential Winter Home Maintenance Jobs Experts Recommend to Help Prevent Expensive Repairs

Before putting up outdoor holiday decorations, there are several important home tasks worth tackling first. Experts, including those from the Home Improvement & Outdoor Lab at the Good Housekeeping Institute, say these are the jobs you should complete before snow and bitter cold arrive in your area.

There’s a good reason not to delay them: skipping some of these chores can lead to expensive repairs later in the season, or even long after. For example, if you discover a problem with your heater or boiler now, you may still have time to fix it before you truly need it. If it fails during the coldest stretch of winter, you could face a much higher bill for urgent service. While no homeowner can prevent every emergency, taking care of these tasks now can help reduce the chances of a stressful surprise.

These are not the only maintenance items worth watching, but experts consider them the most important. For more advice, learn what to do at home to avoid disaster and how to inspect your house after a hard freeze.

Clean the gutters

Gutters filled with leaves and other debris can create a long list of problems, from roof leaks to damaged fascia boards. They can also cause trouble on the ground below. “Clogged gutters result in overflow that can seep into the foundation and basements causing all the problems associated with water, like mold and mildew, plus potential structural issues down the road,” explains Michael DiMartino, SVP of Installation at Power Home Remodeling. In severe cases, saturated soil can create hydrostatic pressure strong enough to crack, bow, or even collapse foundation walls. That can mean thousands, or even tens of thousands, of dollars in repairs, along with serious safety concerns.

Get your heating system serviced

This is best done in late summer or early fall, when heating contractors are less busy. But if you act quickly, you may still be able to schedule a professional service before the system is working overtime in winter. The last thing you want is for your furnace or boiler to stop working on the coldest day of the year. If that happens, same-day service may not be available, and you could also be hit with higher emergency pricing because of heavy demand.

The exact tune-up depends on your system, but most include tightening connections, lubricating moving parts, and checking all safety controls. According to Angi, the average service costs around $250. That is not cheap, but it can help keep your home warm and may extend the life of your equipment by several years.

Check the attic insulation

Inspecting attic insulation can help stop the so-called stack effect, in which heated air escapes through the roof while cold outdoor air is drawn in on lower floors. Good insulation can make the home more comfortable and lower energy bills. “When paired with adequate ventilation, insulation also protects roofing materials, reduces strain on your heating system, and helps maintain a more efficient home throughout the year,” DiMartino says.

A poorly insulated attic is also a major cause of ice dams forming along the lower edge of the roof. When the attic is not insulated well enough, the roof warms up, which melts snow on the upper sections. Snow near the colder eaves stays in place, forming a barrier that grows as melting snow refreezes into ice when temperatures drop below freezing.

Have a backup power plan

Snow and ice storms are common causes of power outages, and those outages can last for days when damaged roads slow emergency crews responding to downed wires. That is why every home should have a portable generator. Traditional gas generators remain a practical option and offer strong value. Our experts also favor solar generators, or portable power stations, because they run on a large battery instead of gas, so there is no need to keep fuel on hand and no risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Scan for treacherous tree limbs

Once the leaves are gone, you can get a clear look at the branches in your yard. Check for dead or dying limbs, especially those hanging over the house or driveway. Weak branches can break under the weight of wet snow or a coating of ice. If one crashes through the roof of your home or garage, or into your car’s windshield, the repair bill can be costly.