Fall is right around the corner in every sense of the word, and that has got our belly warming up faster than a marshmallow dangling over an open fire. We love fall; the colors changing on the trees, neighborhoods lined with golden leaves, lights in houses turning on at four in the afternoon, log fires raging and the chance to layer up on our clothes – hats, gloves, and scarves becoming a staple diet.

We accept that we aren’t all fall-lovers and that some people will still be rocking shorts and flip flops and they squeeze out the last drops of summertime before being forced to embrace the fact winter is coming. But no matter your disposition now is the best time to start getting your home ready for fall and that means embracing all things cozy.

It could be small tweaks here and there or it could be undertaking the bigger tasks; it could be that you do everything in one go or just a few here and there. Whatever it is you decide, we have pulled together some of the best tips and tricks to get your home ready for the changing seasons.

Image source

Draft Season

The good news is, we’re not talking about football. The bad news is, we are talking about checking your home for any leaks or drafts, which means inspecting the edges of your doors and windows. How you do that is up to you. You could get a thermal vision iPhone add-on and scan your windows and doors that way or you could go old fashioned and use a lighted candle – if it flickers, well, there could be a gap. Once you’ve located any suspect areas it is onto the caulking process.

Fire It Up

The seasons are changing, the world is going to cool dramatically and you are going to be relying on your furnace an awful lot. That is why you should be calling in an expert to test for any leaks you may have, make sure everything is running efficiently and maybe even give it a service, in which you can find out more here. It isn’t just about making sure your furnace is running smoothly, though, it is also about making sure it is running safely. Yeah, we’re talking about that nasty little thing called Carbon Monoxide. Air safety, it’s a big deal.

Cover Your AC

If you’re one of those lucky people who get to embrace all four seasons – or even just two seasons – then you probably won’t be needing your air conditioning unit for the next six months. But instead of just forgetting about it, we recommend you step out into the cold air and cover up the exterior unit for the duration of fall and winter. You may not thank us until next spring-slash-summer, but you will thank us.

Get Your Test On

This is definitely the time of year to be doing the rounds of your house and making sure all your safety devices are working wonders. In case you are confused, we mean pressing the test button and changing the batteries in all your smoke detectors. You are entering the cool seasons, and that means you will be having log fires and firing up your convector heaters, both of which run a higher risk. We’re talking about safety here, which means it is of the utmost importance to jump on this ‘chore’ as soon as possible. In fact, stop reading this article, do your checks now and then come back and finish reading.

Reverse The Fan

If you have a ceiling fan, and why wouldn’t you, then now is a good time to stand on a chair and flip the reverse switch. Basically, during the winter and fall months, your ceiling fans should rotate in a smooth clockwise direction. “Why?” Simple. It will cause, what we nerds like to call, an updraft, forcing the warm air that is lingering by your ceilings down, adding to the coziness of your place. Lovely.

Image source

Check That Roof

Don’t worry, we’re not telling you to pull out the ladders and make the climb; a check from ground level with suffice. All you need to do is a visual check. If you really want to get up close and personal, you could always use those binoculars you got given for your twelfth birthday and never used. If you really want to make sure everything is in ship shape, then you can make the climb for a better view. Just make sure you are doing so safely. Once you are up there, what you are looking for are loose or missing tiles.

Time For Firewood

If you have access to firewood, then now is a good time to start chopping it into a plethora of sizes and storing it in a nice dry place so that it is ready to produce that glorious warmth you just wish you could bottle. If you don’t chop your own, then now is the time to bulk order and get yourself enough wood to see you right through the season. Once again, make sure you store it in a dry place, preferably away from the house so that you aren’t running any risks. Fire can be devastating, remember.

Blanket Up, Now

You now know that your furnace is running smoothly because you had it checked by a professional but, even so, it is well worth stocking up on some nice, thick, warm blankets. Have some that can be stored in the kitchen, others for the living room, and for each bedroom. The more you have handy around your house the better. That way you can stay all cozy and snuggly, only relying on the heating when you truly need it, thus keeping costs down.

Image source

Tree Inspection Time

This may not have been something that graced your to-do list in the past, but a quick run around the outside of your house to see if there are any branches or limbs that are hanging dangerously close to your home – or power lines – is well worth doing. It could be high winds that cause them to break or a buildup of snow and ice that sees them crack. Either way, it is better to address the situation now than wait until you have a roof to repair too.