While it is still comfortable outside, consider some pre-winter preparation that could save you big money down the road. Here’s Clairmont’s Top 10:

Spend money improving your home, not repairing it!

While it is still comfortable outside, consider some pre-winter preparation that could save you big money down the road. Here’s Clairmont’s Top 10:

1. Change furnace filter. You can buy a stack online.
2. Change batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
3. Have clear access to your water main. If you or your kids had to quickly turn it off, could you?  Picture a pipe freezes and breaks and every second the water is running wild, serious damage is being done.
4. HVAC exterior vent should be cleared of shrubbery and leaves. Bird nests are common in them too.
5. Install light timers indoors and out. Crime is up and everyone knows a dark house means no one is home.
6. Reassess your home HVAC thermostat. It may be time for an upgrade.  Get a Wi-Fi model with a phone app.
7. Winterize irrigation systems.
8. Caulk open areas and cracks. Look where windows meet siding or brick.  Don’t caulk the bottom of the window frame though.  Look where any pipe or vent enters your home and assess the caulk.
9. Check your chimney and fireplace. Birds nest can often be found in them.
10. In November once all the leaves have fallen, clean your gutters. Consider laying gutter cable to prevent ice damming in the winter months.

Spend money improving your home, not repairing it!