The autumn solstice has come and gone, the  Halloween candy has been devoured—sure signs that winter is quickly approaching. Is your home ready?

Preparing for winter is generally a whole lot cheaper than repairing your home after disaster has struck, but adding insulation, upgrading your windows or installing new gutters still costs money. A Salal Home Equity Line of Credit* can provide a low-interest way to finance your preparations. And that’s a lot better than using a high-interest-rate credit card to fix the damage we all know winter can do. With a Salal HELOC, you get easy access to your funds, and since you only borrow the money need, you only pay interest on the money you use. 

Here are quick tips to help ward off winter worries:

• Check your furnace or have it checked by an HVAC professional. Make sure your filter is clean and there are no flammable materials surrounding your furnace.
• If you have a fireplace, cap or screen it to keep the birds out. Don’t stack firewood against your house: piled wood can attract pests like bugs and rodents.
• Inspect your attic. Is your existing insulation enough? Increasing your insulation can pay for itself in reduced heating costs. Also, warm air rising and escaping from your house can create “ice dams” on your roof, trapping water that can leak into your house. Insulation helps prevent the heat loss that causes these dams.
• Check gutters and downspouts for debris that can clog or for gutters that may need replacing. Consider leaf guards or other preventative measures to prevent clogs.
• Check your flashing: is your house sealed against water leaking in?
•  Drain garden hoses and cap external faucets against freezing.
• Prepare an emergency kit for possible power outages.
• Check your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and replace batteries if necessary.

Taking time to prepare yourself and your home for winter can save you expensive headaches later. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has lots of great tips and information to help you be ready!

*All Salal loans are subject to credit approval.

Filed under: Money management tips by admin