Protect Your Home From the Indianapolis Winter Cold

It s the call you don t want to receive. A neighbor of one of my listings left a message saying water is pouring from beneath the garage door. The neighbor turned off the water and called both myself and the owner.

This particular home has the utilities on and my partner was just there the day before to check on the home. What s a homeowner and a Realtor to do?

As the temperature drops, there are a few simple steps you can take as a preventative measure against the damage from a busted pipe.

If the home is vacant and has the utilities on, you should keep the temperature set at fifty-five to sixty degrees. Insulate the hot water heater and exterior water faucets.

If you have a crawl space, insulate the pipes you can get to. Same for visible pipes in the basement. It is always colder in the basement than the main floor.

Disconnect water hose and sprinklers from all exterior faucets. If the home is vacant and does not have the utilities on, a homeowner will need to winterize the home. This can be accomplished either by the homeowner or by a professional service.

Take the necessary steps to protect your home from the devastation of water damage.