Winter will arrive faster than anyone is ready for, so you have to be prepared. Start taking steps to get your house ready for winter before those temperatures become frigid and the first flakes fall. Use the below as a checklist to make sure your house is ready for winter. 

Outside Furniture

If evenings are too chilly for outdoor dining, it's time to store the outdoor dining table in the garage. If you don't have the space to store it inside a garage or shed, cover it with a weatherproof furniture cover and leave it outdoors. You might want to keep the lounge furniture around the firepit well into the fall, but have a plan in place for it. Be prepared to move it inside or cover it so that it survives the winter and can give you many cozy nights to come next season. 

Roof Checkup

Take a look at your roof and make sure the shingles and flashing are in good shape before wet winter weather hits. Don't let a wet ceiling alert you to a problem. As leaves fall, be sure to regularly clean out your gutters so that melting snow and fall rainwater can follow a proper route from your roof to the ground. 

Winterize Doors and Windows

Make sure there are no cracks around doors or winters. Not only will this step keep chilly air from finding its way into your house, but it will also keep out rodents looking for a place to wait out the winter. Any gaps around doors or windows should be sealed. 

Heating System

Bring a professional in to give your heating system an annual checkup before the temperatures drop into the low digits. If there are any problems, the professional will catch them before you're left without heat in the middle of a cold snap. This also is a good time to take care of a needed water heater repair. Get someone to take a look at it and take care of a water heater repair if needed. While it's getting a checkup, consider getting an insulated blanket for your water heater. An insulated blanket will keep your water heater from losing heat and will pay for itself quickly by saving you money in energy costs. Insulated blankets can be custom-made or purchased in a standard size. 

Fireplace

If you have a fireplace to keep you warm during the winter, this is the time to get your chimney inspected and cleaned so that you'll be ready to light a cheery fire when that first cold snap hits. 

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