Why Winter Is the Best Time to Inspect Your Home (Even If You're Not Fixing Anything Yet)
Hey there, Salt Lake Valley homeowners! I know what you're thinking, who wants to crawl around their house looking for problems when it's freezing outside? But here's the thing: winter is actually the best time to give your home a thorough once-over, even if you're not planning to fix anything right away.
As a B100 General Contractor serving everywhere from Sandy to Herriman to Bountiful, we know that it's best to catch problems early. The homeowners who do winter inspections? They're the ones calling in March saying "Hey, can you fix this small issue?" instead of calling in January screaming, "EMERGENCY! Everything is broken!"
Why Winter Tells the Truth About Your Home
Think of winter as your home's annual stress test. Just like how you might not know your car's heater is broken until December, your house keeps its secrets until the cold weather forces them out into the open.
Your Heating System Gets Real
During those mild October days, your furnace might purr like a kitten on low settings. But when we're hitting those 15-degree nights in January? That's when you find out if your system is actually up to the job. Right now, while your heating system is working overtime, you can spot issues like:
Rooms that never seem to get warm enough
Strange noises that only happen when the furnace is running hard
Dramatic temperature differences between floors
Higher energy bills that suggest efficiency problems
This isn’t about diagnosing your furnace. It’s about noticing comfort patterns that reveal how your home is performing as a system.
Drafts and Insulation Issues Become Obvious
In summer, a little air leak here and there? No big deal. In winter? You'll feel every single one of those sneaky drafts. Walk around your Riverton or West Valley City home on a cold day and you'll quickly discover:
Windows that whistle in the wind
Doors that let cold air sneak in around the edges
Electrical outlets on exterior walls that feel chilly
Basement areas that seem to have their own weather system
Your Roof Shows Its True Colors
Snow is like nature's leak detector. Here in the Salt Lake Valley, we get enough snow to really test your roof, and it reveals problems that stay hidden the rest of the year:
Ice dams usually point to a combination of insulation, air sealing, and attic ventilation issues
Missing or damaged shingles that let moisture in
Gutter problems that become obvious when they're full of ice
Flashing issues around chimneys or vents
The DIY Winter Inspection Game Plan
You don't need to be a professional to spot most issues. Here's what any homeowner in Magna, Sandy, or anywhere else in our service area can do:
Start Inside, Work Your Way Out
Begin your inspection in the warmest part of your house and work toward the coldest areas. This helps you notice temperature differences that might indicate problems.
Check your thermostat settings and performance - Is it maintaining the temperature you set, or working overtime?
Feel around windows and doors - Use the back of your hand to detect drafts. You'd be amazed what you'll find.
Look at your energy bills - Compare this winter to last winter. Compare trends, not just totals. Large unexplained jumps are worth investigating.
Inspect your basement or crawl space - Look for signs of moisture, frozen pipes, or areas where you can see your breath (not good!). Do not enter tight crawl spaces or areas with standing water. Observe from access points only.
The Outdoor Walk-Around
Bundle up and take a walk around your property. Look for:
Icicles forming in unusual places (might indicate ice dams)
Snow melting in patches on your roof (suggests heat loss)
Visible damage to siding or trim
Outdoor faucets or irrigation systems that might be at risk of freezing
Document Everything
Take photos! Even if you're not fixing anything now, you'll want a record of what you found. Plus, if you do decide to call in a professional later, photos help us understand the situation before we even arrive.
When to Call the Pros (Hint: It's Not Always Urgent)
Here's where being a B100 General Contractor comes in handy: I can tell you when something needs immediate attention versus when you can plan for a spring project.
Call Us Right Away If:
You smell gas or suspect a gas leak
You have frozen or burst pipes
Your heating system completely stops working
You see signs of structural damage (Large, growing, or suddenly appearing cracks, especially around doors, windows, or ceilings)
There's active water intrusion
Plan for Later If:
You've discovered minor drafts or insulation issues
Your energy bills are higher but everything's still working
You found cosmetic exterior damage
Your heating system works but seems less efficient
You want to upgrade windows or doors
The beauty of a winter inspection is that most of what you'll find falls into that second category. You're building a prioritized list for future projects, not creating a crisis.
The Strategic Advantage of Winter Planning
Here are some pro-tips for homeowners who inspect in winter and plan for spring get the best deals and the best scheduling.
Better Scheduling with Contractors
When you call Your Handyman Pros in February saying "I found some issues and want to plan some spring projects," you get our full attention. We're not rushing between emergency calls, and we can really dive deep into planning the best solutions for your Herriman or Bountiful home.
More Thoughtful Decision-Making
When your furnace is broken and it's 10 degrees outside, you're making emergency decisions. When you discover it's just inefficient during a calm winter inspection, you have time to research options, get multiple quotes, and make smart choices.
Budget Planning
Finding issues in January gives you months to budget for repairs or improvements. Instead of hitting the credit card for an emergency fix, you can plan and save.
What We See Most During Winter Inspections
After doing this for years across the Salt Lake Valley, here are the most common issues we help homeowners discover during winter inspections:
HVAC Efficiency Problems - Usually not broken, just not working as well as they could. These are perfect candidates for spring tune-ups or upgrades.
Weatherization Needs - Drafty windows, inadequate door seals, missing weatherstripping. Small fixes that make a huge difference.
Insulation Gaps - Especially in older homes in Sandy or West Valley City, many homeowners find areas where insulation has settled or been disturbed.
Minor Plumbing Vulnerabilities - Pipes that haven't frozen yet but are at risk, outdoor faucets that need better protection, etc.
Gutter and Downspout Issues - Ice reveals drainage problems that cause bigger issues come spring.
The good news? Most of these are relatively affordable fixes when planned properly.
Making Winter Inspections a Habit
Here's what I recommend to all my clients across Davis, Wasatch, Summit, and Tooele counties: make this an annual thing. Every January, do a thorough walk-through of your property.
Keep a simple notebook or phone app where you track what you find each year. You'll start to see patterns: maybe that northwest corner bedroom is always cold, or your energy bills always spike in January. These patterns help you prioritize improvements.
And remember, you're not looking for perfection. You're looking for information. Every house has quirks, especially here in Utah where we deal with real weather. The goal is to understand your home well enough to take care of it properly.
The Bottom Line
Winter might seem like the worst time to think about home maintenance, but it's actually the most honest time. Your house can't hide its weaknesses when it's 20 degrees and windy.
Whether you're in a new construction home in Herriman or a vintage bungalow in Sugar House, winter will reveal things about your property that you'd never notice in July. And here's the kicker: you don't have to fix everything you find. You just need to know what's there.
At Your Handyman Pros, we love working with homeowners who take this proactive approach. When you call us in March with a clear list of what you found and what you want to prioritize, we can give you much better service than when we're rushing to fix an emergency.
So grab a cup of hot chocolate, bundle up, and get to know your home a little better this winter. Your future self (and your wallet) will thank you.
Need help interpreting what you found during your winter inspection? Your Handyman Pros serves the entire Salt Lake Valley, from Sandy to Magna to Bountiful and everywhere in between. Give us a call and let's talk about turning your discoveries into a smart improvement plan.
