Being a homeowner is a labor of love.

That’s something that the nearly 1,000 families we’ve helped this year alone are discovering as they prepare their homes for the change of seasons!

Whether you’ve rolled up your sleeves with us on a construction site, volunteered at the ReStore, donated or simply believe in our mission to help hardworking families achieve their homeownership dreams — we want to share with you these practical tips.

They’re easy but often overlooked steps that can help keep your home safe, warm and energy-efficient through the winter months.

1. Reverse your ceiling fans: Switch your ceiling fans to spin clockwise during the winter months. This simple trick pushes warm air down, which can help lower your heating costs.
2. Get your furnace serviced: Make an appointment to have your furnace serviced to ensure its running optimally and also clean or change the air filter so air can flow optimally through the unit.
3. Clear your dryer vent: Cleaning out the lint build-up in your dryer vent not only boosts efficiency but also reduces the risk of a fire.
4. Inspect and seal gaps around windows and doors: Even small cracks around windows and doors can let in cold air. Use caulk to seal these gaps.
5. Inspect your attic hatch: The attic hatch is often a hidden source of heat loss. Adding insulation or weatherstripping around it can prevent warm air from escaping.
6. Clean your gutters: Cleaning your gutters before winter helps prevent ice dams from forming, which can damage your roof and gutters.
7. Protect your outdoor faucets: Drain and disconnect any hoses and turn off the water source to protect your outdoor faucets from freezing.
8. Upgrade to your indoor/outdoor mats: Place heavy-duty, waterproof mats both inside and outside your doors to keep snow, slush and salt from damaging your floors.
9. Replace weatherstripping around doors: Weatherstripping wears out over time. Now is the perfect time to inspect and replace any weatherstripping that’s worn out.
10. Check smoke and carbon monoxide detectors: Finally, check that your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are working properly. Replace any old batteries and make sure to hit that test button.

As always, thank you for being an important partner in our work!