Lennar Resource Center

As you prepare for the holiday season, ensure that your Lennar home is ready for the change to cooler weather. Follow these four tips to easily transition into the holiday season and keep your home in great shape.

1. Monitor your heating system

Florida rarely experiences true winter weather, which means it may have been quite a while since your heater was last used. Under normal conditions, a home’s heater will let off a burning smell when it turns on for the first time in a few months. That scent can tell you a few things about the condition of your heater.

Normally, that unpleasant smell is dust burning off of the heating elements of your heat pump, furnace, electric heater or other heating system. Typically, this smell lasts around 30 minutes, but if it lasts longer or makes a strange sound, it may require the attention of a professional.

To maintain your HVAC system, make sure to change your air filter every one to three months and clear leaves and debris from your outdoor unit.

2. Maintain your fireplace

If you have a fireplace in your home, the holiday season is the best time to get cozy by the fire. Any buildup in your fireplace could be a fire hazard, though. To ensure that your fireplace is operational for the winter, hire a chimney sweeper to do a maintenance check before it gets too cool and when the wait time is shorter.

3. Prepare for electrical holiday decorations

When stringing lights inside and outside of your home, be cautious of where you are plugging in your lights and décor. Incorrect placement or overcrowding of an outlet can lead to an electrical fire. The safest way to create more outlets is to use one power strip per outlet and to not stack power strips to create more outlets. A surge protector can be used to help prevent an overload and protect your lights from voltage spikes.

4. Be safe and energy-smart when decorating

The easiest way to save energy with your holiday decorations is to use a mechanical timer for indoor and outdoor decorations. Timers can be purchased with an outlet extender and can be programmed to shut off after a few hours of use after dawn or dusk.

If you plan on hanging decorations, such as garlands or banners along the walls in your home, use small damage-free adhesive wall hooks.

Now is the perfect time to be in your dream home for the holidays. Be part of Lennar’s quick move-in homes in 58 communities in Tampa Bay.