By taking some time in the fall to winterize your home, you can spare yourself a lot of hassle as temperatures drop. Here are 7 ways to prepare the interior of your home for winter.

Tune up your heating system

Be proactive and have an HVAC technician inspect your furnace to ensure it is clean and in good repair. For less than $100 it is worth the money to maintain the life of your furnace and keep your home warm throughout the winter. If you call before it gets too cold, you can beat the rush and get faster service.

Clean or replace air filters

If you can’t get a technician out to the house, you still have options. Your air filter keeps pollution and debris out of your HVAC system. A dirty filter will decrease your system’s efficiency and slow down the air flow. As the furnace has to work harder to warm your home, it wastes energy and money.

Reverse your ceiling fans

Some ceiling fans have a switch that changes the direction of the way the blades spin. When you flip the switch, reverses air circulation to push down the hot air that rises.

Check for drafts around windows and doors

Walk past every window and door and feel for any cool breeze that blows through. Examine exposed ducts in the attics, basement and crawl spaces and seal any leaks with weatherstripping. There are different types of weatherstripping and they are all affordable ways to keep your home insulated.

Change your bedding

If you need some extra warmth in your home, add flannel sheets and/or a down comforter to your bed. The extra warmth will allow you to sleep comfortably while maintaining a lower thermostat.

Get a humidifier

As the air gets dry with the colder temperatures, a humidifier will help you boost indoor humidity levels. This means it will alleviate dry skin, chapped lips, nose bleeds and can even reduce some snoring! Just be sure to keep it clean so mold and bacteria don’t build up.

Prevent exterior leaks

Check your roof for damaged, loose or missing shingles to avoid snow leaking into the home. While you’re cleaning out your gutters, you can add downspout extensions to send precipitation away from your home to prevent it from leaking into your basement.

If you’re hoping to get into a new home before winter hits, now is the perfect time and we would love to help you out! If you’re already a homeowner, take advantage of the weeks before the temps drop and the holidays hit to prepare your home for winter!