The fall season is quickly approaching, and now is the time to weatherproof your home for a comfortable autumn and winter.

Prepare to combat cold temperatures

As temperatures cool, it’s important to make sure your home can get warm quickly and stay warm. Ensure you have the proper insulation in your attic and under the house (if you have a raised foundation), and check the seals on windows and doors. Sealing leaks or cracks will help you maintain a steady temperature without putting added strain on your heating and cooling systems.

Other things you can do to winterize your house include:

• Switching ceiling fans to a clockwise rotation
• Insulating pipes against freezing outdoor temperatures to prevent leaks
• Clearing gutters and trimming trees to avoid damage to the roof by hail or snow

Make a plan for extreme weather

In some southern and coastal areas, extreme weather like severe storms and hurricanes is a real risk in late summer and fall. Having a plan to protect your home and your family during a weather event is critical. Make an evacuation plan, stock up on drinking water, nonperishables, and first-aid supplies, and pack a go-bag with personal documents and essentials like medications. In the event of an evacuation, here are a few tips from FEMA to protect your home against wind and water damage:

• Bring inside any objects that could get picked up by high winds, and anchor those that are unsafe to bring indoors, like propane tanks.
• Move furniture and personal belongings up to the second floor, if possible, to protect against flooding.
• Board up windows and doors, and brace entrances with sandbags or heavy furniture.
• If you can access them safely, shut off the circuit breaker and main water valve.

Prevent house fires

Cooler weather and holiday gatherings find many of us in the kitchen and cozied up around the fireplace. Keep those happy moments from turning into mishaps by taking simple steps to avoid house fires:

• Give the stove and oven a good cleaning to remove debris.
• Check that fire extinguishers and smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are in good working order.
• Have your chimney inspected by a professional and cleaned, if necessary.

Checking off a few simple tasks today can give you greater peace of mind later. And, if you’re thinking about financing a home improvement project or considering purchasing a new home in time for the holidays, Open Mortgage can help. Contact us today to discuss your loan options.