A Guide to Preparing Your Home for the Cold Months


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

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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.

Charlotte Volsch

What’s the right way to handle an inherited property—renovate, list, or sell it as-is? I am Charlotte Volsch, an Estate Property Advisor and Probate & Trust Real Estate Specialist helping attorneys, executors, and families make clear, confident decisions when selling inherited homes. I help attorneys, executors, and families navigate inherited property decisions throughout the Inland Empire and High Desert of Southern California, including Apple Valley, Victorville, Hesperia, Rancho Cucamonga, Redlands, Loma Linda, Fontana, and surrounding communities. Over the course of my career, I have completed 774+ real estate transactions across 24 years, including more than 230 probate and trust property sales. For the past 16+ years, I have focused specifically on estate property situations, working alongside probate and trust attorneys, fiduciaries, and their clients to guide each case from evaluation through sale. Many families are unsure what to do with an inherited home—whether to invest in repairs, list it traditionally, or sell it as-is. Without a clear strategy, estates can make costly mistakes such as over-improving a property, underpricing it, selecting the wrong sale method, or facing delays that impact timelines and estate objectives. I help evaluate those decisions early, so attorneys and their clients can move forward with clarity, avoid unnecessary risk, and choose the most appropriate path based on the property and the situation. I work directly with attorneys and their clients to determine the best path forward, whether that involves preparing a property for the retail market or facilitating a direct sale through a network of qualified investors. For properties that require repairs, may not qualify for traditional financing, or are best suited for as-is sale, I provide access to a network of more than 50 active real estate investors. Over the past 12 months, I have closed 68 transactions, reflecting consistent production and experience navigating changing market conditions. I guide each case using the C.A.L.M. Method: C — Clarify We identify what matters now versus what can wait. A — Align We define priorities—legal, financial, and personal. L — Lead I guide each step in the proper order to avoid delays and unnecessary complications. M — Move Forward Clients proceed with clarity and confidence. I am the Broker Owner of The Volsch Team at Volsch Enterprises, Inc., and hold certifications in Probate Real Estate through the National Association of Realtors (NAR) as well as Certified Probate Real Estate Advisor (Probate Biz). If you are an attorney handling probate or trust matters—or assisting a client with an inherited property—I’m available as a resource to help evaluate the best path forward.