There is a week every fall when the porch still feels like summer in the afternoon and the windshield is frosted the next morning. That week is the reminder. Winter here is long, and most of what goes wrong in a house between December and March can be traced back to something small that was skipped in October.
None of this is complicated. It just needs to happen before the ground freezes.
Outside the house
Disconnect the hoses. A hose left attached to an outdoor faucet can trap water in the line, and that water has nowhere to go when it freezes. If your home has an interior shutoff for the outdoor spigots, close it and open the outside tap to let it drain.
Clean the gutters after the leaves are down. Not before. Oaks hold on longer than you think, so it is often worth waiting until early November. Clogged gutters are where ice dams begin.
Walk the downspouts. Water should leave the house at least a few feet from the foundation. A loose extension or a downspout aimed at the wrong spot is an easy fix now and an expensive one in spring.
Blow out the irrigation system. If you have sprinklers, the lines need to be cleared before a hard freeze.
Look up. From the ground, check for missing shingles, lifted flashing, or anything on the chimney that looks out of place. You do not need to climb anything to notice a problem.
Inside the house
Change the furnace filter. It is the simplest thing you can do for your heating system, and the one most often forgotten. If the furnace has not been serviced in a year or two, this is the time to schedule it, before the first cold snap fills every technician's calendar.
Test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Daylight saving time ends on November 1 this year. Change the clocks, change the batteries.
Check the sump pump. Pour a bucket of water into the pit and make sure it kicks on. Then follow the discharge line outside and make sure it is clear and will not freeze shut.
Find the drafts. On a windy evening, hold your hand near window frames, exterior doors, and outlets on outside walls. Weatherstripping and a tube of caulk solve more than you would expect.
Know where your main water shutoff is. If a pipe ever does burst, this is the one thing you will want to find quickly.
Plan for snow
Decide now who is clearing the driveway and walks, and make sure the shovel, salt, and snowblower are where you can reach them. If you hire it out, book early.
If you would rather hand it off
Some people like an October Saturday spent on a ladder. Plenty of people do not. Houseworks helps homeowners across Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Washington, and Waukesha counties keep up with exactly this kind of seasonal upkeep, so the house is ready for winter without it becoming another weekend project. If that sounds useful, reach out and we can talk through what your home needs.
