It is as important to organize your home for the winter season. As the north winds begin to blow and your appeal to be outside fades, you will be glad you are ahead of the weather and have everything on the exterior of your home organized and tucked away for the winter. Consider these areas that may need attention around your home. You will feel good about the appearance of your property and worry free that everything is taken care of before the winter weather blows in.

In colder weather, bring all of your lawn furniture in close to your home or store it in your garage or storage building. This will prevent a lot of wear and inhibit rust appearing on your furniture from the elements of the weather.Clean your barbeque grill and cover it and bring it close to your home, or more desirable, place it in a storage building or in your garage. It will be manicured and cleaned up for the remainder of fall and winter, except to rake leaves. If you live in the north, you are probably way ahead of this schedule! Clean gutters and light fixtures globes, and replace light bulbs, so you won’t have to endure the weather to fix any potential problems.

Put away water hoses and secure doors to sheds so they will withstand the winter wind. Make sure all your storm windows are down and locked. Check weatherstripping on windows and doors to ensure they are not letting cold air into your home. If you will be traveling south and use storm shutters, check to see that all shutters are closed in place. In areas where the temperature drops below 32 degrees F, it is necessary to winterize your home and irrigation system. Hire someone to do it or follow professional guidelines to ensure the protection of your home.

Most engineers agree it is not a good idea to cover your roof vents in the winter. Your attic needs to “breathe” in the winter too. Leaving the vents as normal will allow gasses to escape and keep air circulating. Most insulation today is good enough to keep the heat in your home. Check your generator and/or portable heater(s) to make sure they are operating properly and that you have a supply of propane or kerosene, batteries, and matches if you need to light it. If you have a wood-burning fireplace, prepare your woodpile and have your supply close at hand. These preparations may come in handy if the electricity goes off.

Buy an extra supply of food, if you don’t already have it, so you do not have to go out in the fierce weather should an intense storm come. It is such a convenience to have lots of staples in your pantry to avoid having to carry all of the groceries from your car when the weather is unpleasant. If you have electric blankets, place them on your beds for additional comfort. Place additional blankets in a closet where you can easily reach them if the electricity would go off and you do not have to go outside to retrieve extra blankets.

In areas where it snows, make sure you have a supply of a salt product to spread on your sidewalks. Again, it is nice to have planned ahead and have all this taken care of. If you’re in an area where you use a snow blower, make sure it is operating properly and you have a supply of fuel within local laws of what you can store. If you don’t have a snow blower, make sure you know where your snow shovel is located! Check your supply of batteries for your radio, flashlight, and other emergency supplies, such as candles. Buy any needed supplies. They will be ready to go in case the electricity goes off.

If you do not have winter proof exterior faucets, cover the faucets with foam insulation covers that hook to the faucet.Bring sensitive plants inside for the winter so you can care for them and they will still be living come Spring.All of these measures will add to your comfort and security during the winter. You can direct your energies in areas you may not do in the summer, such as reading, sewing, crocheting, knitting, and any other activity you enjoy doing. You will be very snug and know that all is taken care of.