Winter brings beautiful snow, caroling choirs, and holiday cheer. It also brings cold temperatures, slippery sidewalks, and sleet in many states. That’s not the kind of weather to run errands in, so hiring home services to handle errands and deliver things works much better.
From firewood deliveries to yummy winter meals, these winter home services can help make the winter season bright. Almost no homeowner would need every service, so skim the list and choose the ones that most appeal to you and fulfill your needs. Let’s start with safety items, such as keeping your home warm throughout the winter season.
1. Have Firewood Delivered
Homes with a wood-burning fireplace need a few cords of wood to make it through a long winter. If you recently moved to a new area, ask other homeowners on your street who they use as a firewood supplier. Having firewood at the ready tops the list of winter home services because it makes it easier than trying to tote it home yourself or chop it on your own.
Perhaps you moved to an area without a local firewood supply company. Contact the local store of a home improvement chain to inquire about firewood sales. Many stores, such as Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Ace Hardware, carry firewood during the fall and winter. Some of these stores deliver, while others use services like InstaCart that let an individual have items chosen from the website hone delivered.
Some wood-burning stoves or heaters don’t use firewood. They need wood pellets as fuel. Most home improvement stores carry these pellets, which you can order online and have delivered via InstaCart, Postmates, or Shipt.
2. Liquid Fuel Services
At the top of the list of winter home services to hire sits heating oil deliveries. Many homes in the northeast use heating oil to power their boilers and heaters. The type of fuel depends on the heater – some use butane or propane gas, while others use kerosene or liquid gas. The newest type of liquid fuel, biofuel, consists of corn or soybeans.
Signing up for delivery from residential fuel services, may require a deposit made by PayPal, Venmo, or another online pay service. Others of these companies may accept credit cards or debit cards. Typically, these services require an appointment for delivery. You’ll need someone at home since the delivery person needs to leave the fuel with an individual indoors.
3. Make Updates to Heat-Related Devices Before December
If at all possible, install any new heat pump or water heater before December. The beginning of winter in the northern U.S. typically includes at least one major storm, so contractors become super busy with repairs. Having your desired water heater services performed before the holidays can mean the world to you down the line, such as when family comes to visit.
Before you contract with someone for these winter home services, shop the Black Friday sales for water heaters and heat pumps. Purchase your upgraded appliances while they cost the least. Conduct your appliance research before shopping, so you land a bargain.
Rather than replacing a 50-gallon water tank with another 50-gallon water tank, consider a real upgrade. Shop the selection of tankless hot water heaters online for an immense selection. A tankless water heater ensures that everyone gets a hot shower since it cannot run out of hot water.
4. Schedule HVAC Maintenance
Among the winter home services that can help keep your home cozy, consider HVAC maintenance, so you can avoid needing HVAC repair. Every home’s central heat and air conditioning (HVAC) system needs at least annual maintenance. Schedule a maintenance appointment with an HVAC installer or purchase a pre-paid maintenance plan from them. Either way, the yearly inspection and maintenance keep the system working well and spot problems before they develop.
Repair Your Home in Fall
Many home repair contractors make the list of winter home services to hire. If you notice drafts at your windows or doors, address it by having new windows installed or hiring a glazier for an insulated glass installation. Check the door for damage; it may only need weatherization material added around the frame.
Getting ready for winter also includes a little shopping for your home. Complement your new windows or glass with home window coverings, such as drapes, curtains, or shades. An interior decorator can help you choose the ideal window treatments for your home.
If you want new floors installed, have it done before winter. Painting a home falls into the same category because painters need to apply paint in weather above 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Updating plumbing should happen before 6winter since old pipes can burst during freezing temperatures.
5. Food Deliveries
Grocery shopping during winter creates an unnecessary burden. Why not leverage winter home services to have your groceries brought to you? The delivery personnel get paid well to bring groceries and other packages, so help keep them employed! Today’s services offer many ways for a person to enjoy home delivery.
Enjoy gourmet dining by ordering from Dinnerly, Marley Spoon, Gobble, Hello Fresh, or one of the many other food services. These delicious winter home services deliver frozen or refrigerated food to your door via Veoh, Federal Express, UPS, and DHL. Choose the one that most appeals to your appetite and cook to your heart’s content all winter long.
Perhaps you want chips, dip, salsa, tortillas, toilet paper, and other prepared staples. In most cities, Walmart delivers using its own personnel, while Target and many regional grocery chains offer delivery via InstaCart. Yelloh, formerly known as Schwan’s, delivers frozen foods via its own delivery trucks and UPS.
In malls throughout America, Hickory Farms has opened its kiosks. You don’t have to muck through sleet and snow to taste the wonders of Wisconsin cheese and summer sausage though. Order a gift basket online because Hickory Farms now delivers via most major shipping services. Swiss Colony and Figi’s also ship food baskets throughout the country.
6. Stocking Up on Sip Worthy Drinks
Once upon a time, only those in the biggest cities could have their liquor cabinets stocked with delivery goodies. Today, InstaCart brings alcoholic beverages to your home in every state that allows such deliveries. You will need to prove your age to have the delivery made.
Besides rum and eggnog, you also don’t need to leave the house to bear the cold for coffee or tea. Yep, among the top winter home services ranks coffee and tea delivery. If you want a delicious mocha or peppermint mocha, order from Starbucks via Grubhub. They also serve an extensive selection of teas.
But wait, you say you need coffee to serve to your family at dinner? Order a few bags of some delicious coffee that does some good for others, too. Give Hanx, the coffee brand from actor/author Tom Hanks, benefits U.S. military veterans. Hanks donates all profits to charity. Bags or beans, they come right to your door via shipping service.
Stock up on teas, too. Big names like Bigelow and Celestial Seasonings sell from their website and deliver to your doorstep. Create a custom gift basket or order some goodies for yourself.
7. Decorating the House for the Holidays
After you take all the family decorations down from the attic and place them on the tree, in the yard, and throughout the house, you might find you need a few things. Maybe the old tree lights no longer work or you want to do more with your yard décor this year. Shop online using Postmates or Shipt and they bring it to you the same day.
Perhaps you want to edge your roof in twinkling lights, but you lack the roof-walking talents of the character Clark from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. You don’t have to be actor Chevy Chase to afford to hire someone to hang them for you. Many landscaping services offer this service in winter to supplement the lack of yards to mow. It costs about the same as getting the yard mowed and you avoid the roof, the cold, and the tangled lines of lights.
8. Help Cleaning Before Company Arrives
Many people go without a maid, but hiring a maid service for a one-time cleaning can help any homeowner get quickly ready for the holidays. National services like Merry Maids offer one-time cleaning services. These professional house cleaners use top-of-the-line products to get things spic and span. These cleaning crews also receive training in the right way to clean each surface.
A maid service can also help you clean up after a big Christmas meal or party. Hiring this one-time service can mean saving time and making the holidays more enjoyable for you. If you typically dread the day after the holiday party, consider this winter service to make your holidays happier.
9. Cozy Up on the Couch for a Movie Night
Who wants to hit the theater in a heavy winter coat, galoshes, scarf, hat, gloves, plus the outfit underneath? Skip the hassle and buy a movie online, where many new releases now also offer viewings. While Netflix and Hulu charge monthly fees for all you can watch, if you rarely have a night off, Vudu might work better for you. It sells movie rentals a la carte. For totally free entertainment with commercials, try Tubi or Pluto.
Before your big movie night, shop for cozy blankets and throws. Wrap up in a toasty blanket made of wool or fleece. Have it delivered, of course, by shopping Macy’s or J.C. Penney’s online or via InstaCart.
Count on Walmart delivery for the popcorn or s’mores ingredients. No fireplace? For less than $50 you can buy a tabletop fireplace that uses bio-fuel or gel fuel. Put it on the coffee table after it gets delivered and make s’mores while you watch a movie.
Maintaining the Home’s Exterior
Forget painting, winter means shoveling snow in many locations. If you do want to leave the house, you need a clear path from the front door to the street and from the garage door to the street. Hire someone to shovel the sidewalk and driveway for you. This valuable service lets you remain safely inside while someone trained in winter safety, who handles snow shoveling all the time does their job.
Hiring a trained professional to do this helps older people avoid danger. According to The Washington Post, every year in the U.S. more than 11,500 people incur an injury while shoveling snow and about 100 individuals die while snow shoveling or just afterward. More than half of the individuals sustain soft tissue damage, while most of the fatalities have heart attacks.
Making Winter Lose Its Discontent
Winter should be full of fun. It holds some of the most festive holidays that bring families together. The weather often lacks something though. Call it warmth.
Rather than zipping out into the cold constantly, enjoy the warmth and coziness of your home by having what you need come to you. You’d buy groceries anyway, so why not have them delivered? Whether you pick a gourmet service or shop your local grocer through a delivery service, let the delivery professionals handle the travel.
Prepare your home for cold weather by hiring HVAC maintenance personnel to inspect and maintain the ventilation system, heating, and air conditioning unit. Make small repairs that will improve insulation or eradicate drafts before the worst weather hits. Make plumbing repairs before the pipes have a chance to freeze, so you can avoid serious plumbing damage.
Have everything delivered from the Christmas decorations to the coffee, tea, and eggnog. There’s no reward in braving the cold, so enjoy the warmth of your home. Build a fire in the fireplace and roast those chestnuts or make s’mores.
Hire someone to help put up the outdoor holiday decorations and take them down. Also, hire someone to shovel the snow. A maid service can help clean up after a holiday party or meal. With the right winter services, it’s easy to make the holidays bright.