Do you know what to do to get your home ready for the fall and winter seasons? Here’s a helpful checklist.

Fall and winter are just around the corner! Today I want to give you some tips about how to prepare your home from the coming seasons, both inside and out.

1. Clean out your pantry/medicine cabinets. Throw out any expired items that you’ve managed to stockpile. When throwing out expired medicines, remember to dispose of them correctly.

2. Clean out your refrigerator. Take everything out and wipe it down inside and out. This way, you’ll be ready to store some of the delicious holiday foods that you’ll no doubt soon be preparing.

3. Change your furnace filter. You’ve used your air conditioner all through the summer, so now it’s time to make sure the filter is clean. You can even purchase scent sprays for your filters from department stores like Home Depot and Wal-Mart.

4. Have your HVAC system serviced. Especially for the winter, you’ll want to make sure your furnace is fully operational. There’s no worse time to find out your furnace has issues than in the middle of winter!

5. Clean out your closet. Change out your summer wardrobe for clothes that are more seasonally appropriate. In the process, if you find anything that you haven’t worn in a long time or won’t wear at all, donate those items and free up space in your closet.

6. Backup your computer. If you haven’t done this recently (or ever), this is a great time to do it. I’ve had several people tell me that they’ve lost all their files due to a crash.

7. Check the batteries of your smoke and carbon detectors. To be sure that your units last a long time, use 10-year lithium batteries.

8. Have your chimney cleaned. The time to light your fireplace is approaching, so be sure your chimney is cleaned and presents no fire hazards to your home.

9. Check the stripping around doors and windows. Weak stripping lets warm air out and cool air in, which you don’t want in the wintertime!

10. Clean your gutters and check your roof. Clear out all the debris from your gutters so that melting snow has a place to run off and doesn’t instead build up and weigh down your gutters. While you’re up there, check the roof for damaged shingles or vents that need to be recaulked.

11. Prepare your outside faucets. You can buy styrofoam insulation caps at most home goods stores to protect your faucets against freezing and cracking.

12. Rake up fallen leaves. Not doing so can attract insects and can also hamper your lawn’s growth in the spring.

13. Fertilize your yard. If you fertilize and seed your yard in the fall, it will be better prepared for healthy and consistent growth in the spring.

Hopefully, you found these tips useful! If you have any questions or would like a full copy of our fall/winter checklist, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We’d love to hear from you.