Now that the cooler fall weather has descended upon us, it is time to start thinking about preparing your home for winter. Now is the time to work on those unfinished summer projects, before the winter weather makes outside tasks unbearable and miserable. Below is a list of several items to consider before winter hits.

 

Hire a good home inspector – while this may sound like an unnecessary task, you might want to rethink this option. For example, a good home inspector will be able to let you know if your roof has a leak. While home inspectors charge anywhere from $200-400 for their services, this cost is relatively minor when compared to replacing your roof or realizing your roof leaks in the middle of a winter snow storm.

 

Thoroughly check your furnace – run your furnace before you actual need it. Better to have your home warm for a day when you don’t need it, than freezing cold when you actually do need it. Change out your filters regularly! Dirty filters restrict air flow, reducing efficiency and worst case; can cause the heat exchanger to overheat.

 

Clear out the chimney – there is nothing worse than going to use your fireplace for the first time in the season, only to discover birds or raccoons have claimed your fireplace as their new home. The general rule of thumb is to have your chimney inspected and cleaned once a season before you actually build a fire.

 

Check all windows and doors – give all the windows and exterior doors in your home a good onceover for leaks. Who wants to be heating the neighborhood during the middle of winter if your home has a leak? This simple, although timely, task can save you money on your energy bill this winter.

 

Install a programmable thermostat – this item alone can save you money on your energy bill. Simply program the house to be cooler when you are away during the day and have the heat turn back on a few minutes prior to you arriving home at the end of the work day. According to TheDailyGreen, for every degree you lower the thermostat during heating season; you'll save between 1 and 3% of your heating bill.

Winterize your pipes – This is a simple do-it-yourself task that can be done in a few hours. You can buy pre-slit pipe foam from any hardware store, cut it to size and fasten in place with duct tape.

 

Clean your gutters – watch this quick video from Lowes on how to efficiently and safely clean your gutters.

 

Clean and store flower pots – many homeowners use terra cotta flower pots for their gardening. While these pots are pretty, they are also fragile, especially in the winter months when they may be sitting empty outside. Simply clean out the pots and rinse off, allow to air dry and then store with newspaper separating them. Come spring time your pots will be ready for planting!