Get your home ready for winter

The best place to be when the snow is falling and the temps are low is inside your warm, cozy home. Take a few steps now--while it’s still pumpkin spice season!--to give your home the pre-winter attention it deserves.

Have your home’s heating and air conditioning system inspected by an HVAC contractor to make sure your heat is going to work when you need it. At the very least, change your system’s filters.

Test your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Replace batteries to ensure they are operating properly.

Clean your gutters. Fill in cracks in your concrete driveway or patio and then apply sealer so that water can’t get in and freeze over the winter. Protect the wood trim on the exterior of your home by keeping it painted and caulked.

The first storm of the season may come earlier than you expect. Test your snow blower to make sure it is working, and keep a shovel on hand.