Our New Hampshire Home: How We’ve Prepped Our Home for Winter

Let me preface this post by saying the “we” in the title is used lightly. Ryan prepped our house for winter and I helped, often by only offering moral support. What’s a girl to do- I’m learning.

New Hampshire winters are no joke (it’s supposed to be in the fifties starting next week and will only plummet from there) which means we needed to do a few things to prep our home.

Now, these are things that I would have never thought about in my wildest dreams, but Ryan was raised right. He was on top of things! Today I’m sharing the list of things we (primarily he) did to make sure we are all set for when the days are short and oh-so-cold.

Insulating the Garage

We found a mouse in the garage one night when we were down there. Ugh. Then it’s the big question- where did it come from? Ryan has been adding insulation (which he wrapped in plastic) and spray foaming the heck out of all the seams and cracks visible in the garage. He’s also done a bit in the basement and around the house. To state it simply, it helps keep heat in and cold out. A very easy (seemingly easy- again, Ryan handled it) to save on oil and stay toasty in the winter.

Install Nest Thermostats

Nest thermostats are a luxery and truthfully, we would have them except our electric company was running a deal and my grandparents gifted us a third as a “Christmas decoration.” We laughed at that one but hey, you need it in New Hampshire!

Being able to set our thermostat to turn on at specific times and turn off at others is key. Not having to crawl out into a freezing cold bedroom in the morning? Genius!

Purchasing a Generator (and Putting in a Transfer Switch)

Ryan is the Facebook Marketplace king. He picked up a used generator, in great condition, and then his dad came down and helped him put in a transfer switch. If we ever lose power, all we have to do is hook it up and hit a few breakers. Granted, now that we’ve got it, we’ll probably never use it. Around us though, it’s a necessity and something critical to have installed before winter.

Draining the Hose Faucets

Who knew you can’t leave water in your outdoor hose faucets during the winter! Not me. I did, however, know that I had to drain me hose. I’m looking forward to still having the capability to water come spring.

Planting Garlic

Whoot whoot, garden alert! And I made this one happen with some very kind help and support from Ryan’s aunt. Plant your garlic mid October, after the first frost people!

Also, make sure you have American garlic, with the roots still on the bottom. Leave the shell/skin on the clove for protection but split them up and plant them 3 inches down. Just don’t forget where you put them.

Putting in Proper Bathroom Vents

Ryan was on the roof for this one. THE ROOF! Thankfully he bought a harness, which he tied in to the lawnmower, but still! I would say I don’t know where he gets it but I’m pretty sure the second time I met his dad he was shoveling snow off their Vermont roof as he was tied in to Ryan. I digress..

Our bathroom vents were venting into the attic, which means if we’d let it continue, we probably would’ve had mold. Hot, wet air in a dry attic is not a good combo. So, Ryan put vents in the roof and piping in the attic. Very quick for him and very impressive.

Putting in a Wood Stove

This one is a work in progress. We’ll have to see if it gets done this winter but my fingers are certainly crossed. Is there anything better than a wood stove to heat your house? I think not!