Prepare your waterside home for winter

Learning how to winter-proof your waterside home will be valuable, whether you are considering property for sale at the coast, near a river of any other body of water. Choosing a home in this kind of location comes with very unique maintenance requirements, and in this article we will give you some tips on how to do this effectively.

For a perfect example, check out the range of properties along the canals and yacht basins in Cape Town’s Table Bay and V&A Waterfront. The residents here may have a formidable army of maintenance people, but they also need to keep check of their balconies, while outdoor furniture needs to be chosen selectively to withstand the wet, cold Cape winters.

Along river edges, maintenance needs to be focused on keeping areas free of damp and mould. If you are considering building your own home, a low maintenance style may not be as aesthetically appealing, but can be more practical, especially if it is a holiday home. In these instances, you also need to take jetties, decks and porches into consideration as they can be thoroughly tested when extreme conditions roll around – which bring about large volumes of debris and mud.

Some of the most important checkpoints you should consider include checking outdoor enclosures, such as your gates, fences and garage doors to minimise any potential flood damage. Make sure that you inspect these areas regularly to ensure that they are in good working order. Secondly, it is important to keep an eye on all the mechanisms of internal doors that are close to gutters or drains.

Electrical outlets and equipment need to be covered safely at all times, and always create a dry storage space for goods. This can also be essential for building and property insurance needs.

Summer months at properties like this will be well worth every bit of effort you make to keep things in check during the difficult winter period.