Winter is Coming – 25 ideas on how to prepare your home for the coming season
As the weather gets colder, it’s essential to take some time to prepare your home for winter. Here are 25 tips on how to do just that:
- Clean your gutters from fallen leaves and debris.
- Check your roof for damage. If you notice any signs of damage, make sure you fix them as soon as possible to prevent water from rain and melted snow from getting into your home and causing additional damage.
- Close the main valve for all outside water faucets to prevent water from freezing in pipes and leading to damage.
- Turn off and drain outdoor hoses and sprinklers to avoid damage from freezing water.
- Insulate your plants with a thick mulch layer or burlap to protect them from the frost, or schedule a professional landscaper to prep the garden for the winter.
- Have a shovel ready near the house’s entrance to shovel the snow off the walkway, front or back steps, and driveway, if needed. It is also a good idea to keep salt near your door, so you can salt your steps, walkway, and driveway to prevent slips and injuries.
- Schedule a snow removal company (we have great suggestions in Debra’s Little Black Book).
- Store your patio furniture or cover it to protect it from the elements.
- Purchase weather stripping for windows, doors, or skylights prone to letting cold air seep through them.
- Consider hanging heavy curtains over your doors – they work magic on keeping cold winds out and warm air in!
- Make sure that all of your vents are clear so that air can circulate throughout your home.
- Get an HVAC inspection.
- Install a programmable thermostat to reduce heating costs during off-peak hours when you’re asleep or out of the house. Alternatively, adjust your thermostat when you are out of the house.
- Check your furnace, water heater, and other heating systems for any issues.
- Get your chimney and fireplace cleaned and inspected to ensure it’s safe.
- Ensure all your smoke detectors are working correctly and have fresh batteries.
- Order firewood if you have a wood-burning fireplace.
- If you have any animals in the home, make sure that they have warm beds and blankets.
- Have a station set near the entrance door with supplies to clean your dog’s paws from mud, and don’t forget to get winter boots for your dogs to protect them from salt on the sidewalks.
- If you have any crawl spaces or attics in your home, ensure that they are adequately sealed and insulated so that no cold air can get inside.
- Check on all of your home’s lights, especially those near windows or doors. If you live in a single family home, pay particular attention to the lighting right outside your entry door.
- Replace your summer bedding and pillows with warmer options for the winter months.
- Consider buying electric blankets for your bed – they don’t use much electricity but make your bed so inviting on chilly days!
- Place warm blankets near your sofas.
- Have fun decorating your home! Display seasonal items, and decorate with candles and fairy lights to create a warm and inviting atmosphere in your home during winter.
And when the house is all set, we can shake the worries off our shoulders. Winter, after all, doesn’t just mean long cold nights, drizzly weather, and wet paws; it’s also a season full of joy and festivity. Winter is coming, let the fun begin!