If you have big real estate plans for 2026 or have even considered a move of some sort in the not-so-distant future, there’s no better time to prepare than now. After all, you’ll want to enter the new year with a confident footing! December offers a fantastic chance for homeowners to reassess their properties, reinforce their long-term home value, and generally get ready for the coming year. The Mediterranean climate, seasonal maintenance demands, and shifting market conditions in Los Angeles make forethought and planning essential for hitting the ground running in 2026. So, if you want to optimize your home’s resale potential, we recommend considering the following objectives before January.
Assessing Wind Damage from Throughout 2025
From September and typically through January, the Santa Ana winds tend to wreak their trademark havoc on Los Angeles. Often, they’re more bark than bite, but as January 2025’s wildfires illustrated, they can culminate into a formidable force. Even at their least destructive, the Santa Ana winds loosen shingles, clog gutters, and push roof debris into the least convenient of places. Use November’s heavy storms to identify whether the Santa Ana winds from the opening of 2025 did any significant damage. You can be extra careful by ordering a professional inspection. Repairs should be made before water has the chance to breach your roof and dramatically decrease your home value going into the new year.
Use the Downtime to Check HVAC Systems
LA’s Mediterranean climate means we’re blessed with uncommonly mild winters. That being said, at the height of the winter season, we can still experience temperature drops well into the 40s late at night. Therefore, if you have any imminent air conditioning issues, even filter replacement, this is an opportune time to address them. This could also be your last chance to ensure that your central heating is working as intended before the coldest temperatures arrive (typically early in the new year).
Make Sure Insurance Policies Are Commensurate with Home Value
One of the many issues the January wildfires brought to the surface is California’s numerous challenges with insurance coverage for homes. Therefore, December provides an ideal window to confirm that your policy is updated. Do you have adequate dwelling coverage for your home value? How do your deductibles feel? Did you make any upgrades in 2025 that you haven’t told your provider about? You can also take this opportunity to review whether you have appropriate wildfire coverage, especially if your home stands in a high-risk zone. Several insurance providers dropped policies in 2025, so it’s important to gauge how, if at all, you were affected.
Keep Your Lawn Well-Maintained
Speaking of wildfires, how does your yard look? Dry brush feeds wildfire and allows it to travel more quickly, basically serving as a wick that turns homes into explosive infernos. It’s a serious enough threat that the city and county require year-round vegetation management for designated fire zones. You may have rolled up your sleeves to take care of things in the summer. But the recent rains are keeping lawns growing. Therefore, set aside time this December to prune your shrubs, rake your leaves, and make your home more defensible should we run into another nightmare wildfire season.
Strategic Upgrading for a Boost to Home Value
Even if your house is in tip-top shape, you can boost home value with some strategic upgrades. Certain updates do better than others in the LA market. Smart choices include energy-efficient windows, xeriscaping, and general updates to kitchens and bathrooms. While you’re going over any upgrades you’ve completed throughout the year, set aside receipts and documentation that could be useful for resale disclosures and during tax season.
Getting Everything in Order
Finally, one of the strongest but often most overlooked objectives you can tackle in December to help optimize your home value is to get organized. Whether you do this physically or digitally, you need all of your documents to be easily accessible. Pay particular attention to:
- Appliance manuals
- Contractor information
- Permits
- Warranties
Prioritizing orderliness now can help you fast-track future repairs, renovations, and, of course, the potential sale of your home.
Ending Your Year on a Strong Note
A year-end homeowner’s checklist is invaluable in plotting upgrades, preparing for the winter, or generally entering the new year with optimized home value. Even if you’re not planning on moving anytime soon, this is your home, and taking care of it now can save you expensive and time-consuming repairs later. If you want to know what you’re working with, visit our free home valuation calculator or reach out to one of our informed agents for a more comprehensive assessment.
With a brand that says as much as JohnHart’s, Senior Copywriter Seth Styles never finds himself at a loss for words. Responsible for maintaining the voice of the company, he spends each day drafting marketing materials, blogs, bios, and agent resources that speak from the company’s collective mind and Hart… errr, heart.
Having spent over a decade in creative roles across a variety of industries, Seth brings with him vast experience in SEO practices, digital marketing, and all manner of professional writing with particular strength in blogging, content creation, and brand building. Gratitude, passion, and sincerity remain core tenets of his unwavering work ethic. The landscape of the industry changes daily, paralleling JohnHart’s efforts to {re}define real estate, but Seth works to maintain the company’s consistent message while offering both agents and clients a new echelon of service.
When not preserving the JohnHart essence in stirring copy, Seth puts his efforts into writing and illustrating an ongoing series entitled The Death of Romance. In addition, he adores spending quality time with his girlfriend and Romeo (his long-haired chihuahua mix), watching ‘70s and ‘80s horror movies, and reading (with a particular penchant for Victorian horror novels and authors Yukio Mishima and Bret Easton Ellis). He also occasionally records music as the vocalist and songwriter for his glam rock band, Peppermint Pumpkin.
