What should I look for in a house because of Minnesota winters?
Answered by Chris Deutsch, Founder & Editor
Licensed Minnesota Realtor #20382264 ·
The short answer
Three things will do more for your first winter than any amount of courage: an attached garage, a furnace with years left on it, and an attic that's actually insulated.
On stage The 60-second answer
Captions on · Transcript below
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The longer answer
The attic is the sleeper. Poor attic insulation is how Minnesota houses grow ice dams — the ridge of ice at the roof edge that backs meltwater up under the shingles. Ask the inspector about it by name. Beyond the big three: the furnace's age and service history, how the driveway faces (south-facing melts itself; north-facing is a February gym membership), what the windows are doing on a cold day, and whether the basement has a sump pump for the spring melt. None of these should scare you off a good house. All of them belong in the negotiation.
I walk relocating buyers through this list at every showing. DM me RELOCATE and it's yours.
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