A winter home watch visit checks that the heat is working, no pipes have frozen, no water is where it shouldn't be, and snow hasn't blocked anything that matters. In an empty house in winter, a heating failure is the one problem that can't wait, so every visit is built around catching it early.
Many families in Short Hills and Millburn leave for weeks at a time in winter, for Florida, the mountains or both. Our guide to what to do before you leave your house for the winter covers getting the house ready. This post is about what happens while you're gone.
How does a winter home watch visit start?
A winter home watch visit starts outside, before anyone opens the door. We walk around the whole house first and look for anything that stands out: ice building up where water shouldn't be, snow drifted against a wall, a broken window, water running out somewhere, packages piling up on the step.
Then we disarm the alarm, step inside and stop for a moment. The first check is the air.
- Cold air means the heat may be failing. In winter, that's the most urgent thing we can find.
- A damp or musty smell points to water somewhere: a leak, a wet basement, humidity that's crept up.
- A smell of gas means leave right away and call the gas utility or 911 from outside.
That first breath decides where we go next. It's how every visit in Steward Away, our home watch service begins.
What gets checked inside an empty house in winter?
Inside, we start in the basement and work our way up. The basement is usually where the water heater, the sump pump and at least part of the heating system live, so it's where trouble tends to show first.
On every winter visit we check:
- The thermostat. The temperature the house is actually at, compared with what it's set to. A gap between the two is an early sign the heat is struggling.
- The boiler or furnace. Running, no warning lights, no water around it.
- The water heater and its drip pan. A wet pan is often the first sign of a leak.
- The sump pit. The water level, and whether the pump is ready to run.
- Every sink cabinet. We open each one and look at the pipes and valves for drips. On outside walls, an infrared thermometer tells us how cold the pipes and the back of the cabinet really are.
- Every faucet. We run hot and cold at each one. Good flow means the line is clear. A trickle means a frozen pipe somewhere along it.
- Toilets. Flushed where needed, so water moves through the pipes.
- Ceilings, especially on the top floor along outside walls. A new stain there can mean water backing up under the roof from an ice dam.
- Windows and doors. Closed and secure, with no frost or drafts on the inside.
If there's a wine cellar, we check its cooling unit too.
What should happen if a pipe freezes in an empty house?
A frozen pipe has to be thawed slowly and watched while it thaws, because that's usually when the damage shows. Water expands as it freezes and can crack the pipe, and the ice can plug that same crack. Nothing leaks while it's frozen. The water comes when it melts.
The one time we found a frozen pipe at a client's house, we turned the heat up in that room and opened the cabinet under the sink so warm air could reach it. That's as far as we go ourselves. Thawing the pipe is a plumber's job, and we always call one. In an empty house, this is the order we follow:
- Look for damage first. Check the pipe and the area around it for water, a bulge or a split. If you see any, shut off the water at the main valve.
- Call a licensed plumber. Every time, even when nothing is leaking yet. A plumber can thaw the line safely and check it for cracks.
- Find out why it froze. Check the thermostat and the heating system. If the heat has failed, the whole house is at risk, and the heating company gets a call too.
- Warm the room while you wait. Turn up the heat in that room and open the cabinet doors so warm air reaches the pipes.
- Go back when it warms up. A pipe that thawed without leaking can still be cracked. During a hard freeze we'd add visits, and go back first thing when the temperature climbs above freezing, because that's when a hidden crack shows itself.
What gets checked outside after a winter storm?
After a storm, the outside of an empty house needs a visit as soon as the roads allow. Snow causes problems you can't see from a window.
- Heating and water heater vents. Many newer furnaces, boilers and water heaters vent through plastic pipes in an outside wall, close to the ground. If snow covers them, the system can shut down and exhaust can back up. We brush them clear.
- The gas meter. Cleared gently with a broom or by hand, never chipped at with a shovel.
- The dryer vent. Same idea. Our post on cleaning a dryer vent explains why airflow matters.
- The roof edge, seen from the ground. Thick ice along the gutters or heavy icicles can mean an ice dam. We don't go on roofs or above a six-foot ladder, so we look from the ground and from upstairs windows, and a roofer takes it from there.
- Fallen branches on wires, the roof or the driveway.
Who clears the snow when you're away?
Book a snow crew before you leave, with standing instructions to come after every storm without being called. On storm days every crew in town is busy, and standing arrangements get done first. A plowed driveway also makes a house look lived in. An untouched one with no footprints tells everyone it's empty.
Until the crew arrives, we take care of what can't wait:
- Vents and the gas meter, cleared by hand.
- The front steps and a path to the door, shoveled and salted, so the house can be reached in an emergency.
Then we photograph the driveway, walks and sidewalk, and call the crew if they haven't been. The public sidewalk stays the crew's job, so make sure yours knows your town's deadline.
How soon do sidewalks have to be cleared in Summit, Chatham and Short Hills?
The owner has to clear the public sidewalk after a storm whether anyone is home or not, and each town sets its own deadline. These are the rules for homes in three of our towns:
| Town | Sidewalk must be cleared | Minimum path |
|---|---|---|
| Short Hills and Millburn | Within 8 hours of daylight after the storm ends | Not stated |
| Summit | Within 24 hours after the snow stops | 2 feet on a single-family lot |
| Chatham Borough | Within the first 12 hours of daylight | 4 feet |
Millburn's is the tightest. Snow that stops at night in Short Hills can need clearing by mid-afternoon the next day. Millburn also makes it a violation to shovel or plow snow into the street, so tell your crew to keep it behind the curb. Chatham Township has its own code, so check it if your house there sits on a sidewalk.
Why should gutters be cleaned before the first freeze?
Gutters should be cleaned in the fall, before the first hard freeze, because frozen leaves are very hard to get out. Wet leaves freeze into a solid block, and prying at it risks bending the gutter or pulling it loose. A blocked gutter also holds water at the roof edge, which is how ice dams start.
If the gutters weren't done before you left, tell us. We'll look from the ground and from inside and let you know what we see. Our guide to winterizing your house covers the other jobs worth doing before the cold sets in.
How is winter home watch different from summer?
Winter home watch is the same visit as summer with one big difference: freezing. An empty house without air conditioning in July gets humid, and that's a slow problem. An empty house without heat in January can freeze its pipes fast, and the damage starts the moment they thaw.
A few other things change in winter:
- Power outages matter more. Most boilers and furnaces need electricity to run, even on gas, and so does the sump pump. After an outage we check that the heat came back on. If there's a standby generator, we check whether it ran.
- The days are short. Lights on timers keep the house from sitting dark all evening. We check the timers still work.
- Cold snaps change the schedule. During a hard freeze, we'd rather visit an extra time than wait for the next scheduled day.
What should be set up before you leave?
Most of the setup happens before you go, and we do it with you at the house in a first visit. The short version: heat no lower than 68°F with no night setbacks, the main water shut-off found and tagged, leak sensors and the alarm company's call list sorted, a snow crew booked, and a call to your insurance agent. Our guide to leaving your house for the winter explains each one.
What should you get after each visit?
After every visit you should get a full photo report: what was checked, what was done, what couldn't be reached and why, and anything we found. If we find something urgent, we call.
We also change the day and time of our visits. A house checked at the same hour every Tuesday shows a routine anyone can learn.
When to call a professional
- No heat. Call the heating company right away. In winter, an empty house without heat is an emergency.
- A smell of gas. Leave the house and call the gas utility or 911 from outside.
- A carbon monoxide alarm. Get out and call 911.
- Any frozen or burst pipe. Shut off the main water if anything is leaking, and call a licensed plumber. Never thaw a pipe with an open flame.
- Ice dams or roof damage. A roofer. Nobody else should be up there.
- Generator or electrical problems. A licensed electrician or the generator's service company. We check whether a generator ran; we don't work on it.
Frequently asked questions
How often should an empty house be checked in winter?
We'd suggest once a week, plus a visit after every storm and extra visits during a hard freeze. Some insurance policies set their own requirements for empty houses, so check yours.
What temperature should I leave my house at in winter?
We tell clients no lower than 68°F, with no night setbacks. You'll read 55°F in a lot of places, but in an older house the pipes inside outside walls run much colder than the thermostat reads.
Do I have to clear my sidewalk if nobody is home?
Yes. In Short Hills and Millburn it's within 8 hours of daylight after a storm ends, in Summit within 24 hours, and in Chatham Borough within the first 12 hours of daylight. Book a snow crew before you leave, and make sure someone checks it was done.
If you'd rather someone else kept an eye on the house this winter, that's what our home watch service is for.
The Home Steward is a home management service based in Summit, New Jersey, run by Sebastian and Kory, caring for homes in Summit, Chatham, Short Hills and Millburn.
