Your first winter in a new home has one big advantage: nothing has frozen yet. This checklist takes you from a walk around the property, through the meters and vents that must stay clear and the gear worth buying, to a decision on who clears the snow and a routine for the first storm.
In This Article
Walk the property and write down what you find
Do this on a dry October day, with your phone and a notepad. You are building a map of the things that snow and ice will test.
- The driveway: its edges, its length and width, and any slope or dip where water pools.
- The walkways, steps and railings, and whether the treads are even and the handrail firm.
- Where each downspout empties, and whether that spot crosses a walk or the driveway.
- The mailbox, and what type it is. Curbside, door slot and community boxes are handled differently.
- The gas meter and regulator, the electric meter, and every wall vent for the furnace, water heater, dryer and fresh-air system.
- Window wells, outdoor taps and the shut-off valves that go with them, and the sump pump's discharge line.
- The sidewalk and boulevard in front of the house. Check your city's current rules on who clears what, since they differ and change.
If you can reach the previous owner or a neighbour, ask where ice always forms and where the snow tends to drift. That local knowledge is worth an afternoon of guessing.
Meters, vents and other things that must stay clear
This is the part of winter care that newcomers most often miss.
- Gas meter and regulator: keep the approach open and the meter free of drifts. Use a soft broom, never a shovel or an ice chopper, and never hack ice off the regulator. Icicles or falling snow from the roof above can hit a meter, so note whether yours sits under an eave.
- Furnace, water heater and dryer vents: a high-efficiency furnace vents through the wall near the ground. A blocked intake or exhaust can shut it down, and a blocked exhaust is a carbon monoxide risk. Dig out a generous area by hand after each storm and after windy days.
- Window wells: snow fills them and then meltwater does, so cover or clear them.
Test the carbon monoxide and smoke alarms now. If you ever smell gas, leave the house and call your gas utility or 911 from outside. The Technical Standards and Safety Authority publishes fuel safety information for Ontario homeowners.
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The gear worth buying before the first storm
| Item | Why you want it |
|---|---|
| A wide pusher or shovel, and a smaller-bladed shovel | The wide one moves light snow quickly. The small one keeps loads manageable in wet, heavy snow |
| An ice chopper or scraper, plastic-edged if you have pavers | It loosens bonded ice without gouging the surface |
| Sand or de-icer, plus a hand spreader | Grip and melting. Ask your installer about de-icers on new concrete |
| A stiff broom | It clears steps, meters and vents without damage |
| Stakes for the edges | They show you, and any plow, where the driveway stops |
| Boots with real grip, or slip-on ice cleats | Falls happen on the way to the shovel, not just on the ice |
Hold off on a snow blower until you have seen how big the job really is.
Decide who clears: you, a neighbour or a contractor
Do it yourself if the area is small, you are fit and often home, and you accept that a heavy storm means an hour or more of hard exercise. Hire help if the driveway is long or awkward, your schedule is tight, or shovelling is a health risk. If you want a contractor, ask for quotes in October, so the route is set before the first lasting snow, which usually arrives in November or December.
D&D Home Services offers snow removal from $80 per visit for typical Kitchener-Waterloo homes, with seasonal contracts available, and quotes are free and confirmed in writing. Check the guide to preparing your home for a Canadian winter for the rest of the exterior.
Your first-storm routine
- Check the forecast, move cars off the street and put the shovels at the front of the garage.
- Clear a path to the door and the car early, then stop until the snow eases.
- Finish when it stops. Cut the pile at the driveway mouth down, so that you can see traffic and pedestrians.
- Spread a thin layer of sand or de-icer on the steps and the slope.
- Check the meter, the vents and the downspout outlets.
- Write down what surprised you, for next year's list.
Two admin jobs take ten minutes. Ask your home insurer how liability cover works for visitors on your property, and keep a simple log of when you clear. The guide to snow removal liability for Ontario homeowners explains why.
Key Takeaways
- Walk the property before the snow and note the driveway edges, downspout outlets, meters, vents, low spots and steps.
- Keep gas and electric meters and every furnace, water heater and dryer vent clear by hand, and never chip ice off a regulator.
- Buy the basics: two shovels, an ice chopper, sand or de-icer with a spreader, a stiff broom and edge stakes.
- Decide who clears before the first storm, and get quotes in October if you want a contractor.
Sources & References
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