Now that summer is here, the last thing you want to be thinking about is when the weather’s going to start getting cold again. But to ensure that you’re prepared for whatever this winter season is going to throw at you, now is the time to start getting your home ready for that inevitable change in the weather.

To help you in doing this, here are three ways to prepare your home for winter during the summer months. 

Seal Up Your Home

Properly sealing your home will be beneficial in all months of the year, not just the winter. But if you haven’t checked your home to see if it’s properly sealed recently, now’s a great time to do so.

According to Marilyn Lewis, a contributor to MoneyTalksNews.com, you should try to fill any hole, leak, or crack that you see or feel around your home. When you notice an area where air is leaking through, use something like caulk, weather stripping, or other sealing material. Not only will this help to ensure that your home stays warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer, but it will help your heater to not work as hard in order to maintain a comfortable temperature all winter long. 

Get Your Plumbing Ready

If you live in a particularly cold area, your plumbing should always be on your mind in the winter months. When plumbing and pipes get too cold, they can easily break or burst, causing huge issues for you.

To avoid this, Sarah Welch and Alicia Rockmore, contributors to HGTV, advise prep your plumbing by draining all your exterior pipes at the end of summer. As for your interior plumbing, wrap heat tape on any areas that are exposed to the coldest temperatures or that have given you problems in the past. And for additional protection, make sure everyone in your home knows where your water shutoff valve is and how to use it so that, in the event that you do have a pipe burst in the winter, you can quickly and easily turn your water off and minimize the damage. 

Maintain The Exterior

How well you maintain the exterior of your home during the summer can have a big impact on how easy it is to keep up this maintenance in the winter.

Before summer ends, HouseLogic recommends that you take measures like trimming back your tree branches, inspecting your roof, and cleaning out your gutters and downspouts. Taking care of these things now will help you see if there are any bigger issues at play that need to be addressed before the temperatures start to drop. 

To help your home and family stay safe and warm this winter, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you learn how to start your winter home maintenance projects now.