Take a few minutes out of your pool time this month to do these four tasks. If you do, you'll have more time to eat popcorn in front of the fire next January.
#1 Call the Snow Plow Now
If you live in snow-prone areas, now's the time to get your name on the snow plow contractor's schedule. By the time your car's buried in the driveway, their rosters will be full.
#2 Schedule Furnace Service
Get ready for sweater weather — and beat the rush — by scheduling the annual fall service for your furnace now. If you don't already have a twice-a-year maintenance plan with your HVAC company, ask about it. Often, you can get discounted rates, not just for the service plan, but for larger repairs, too.
#3 Get a Home Energy Audit
Save money this winter by scheduling a professional energy audit now. Not only will you learn where your home is prone to energy loss, your auditor may recommend inexpensive ways to save money (like caulking around the baseboards). Energy.gov has info about how pro and DIY energy audits work. Find energy auditors through the Residential Energy Services Network.
#4 Repair Walkways and Driveways
When you’re doing a maintenance check in your yard, don’t forget the nongreen areas like walkways and the driveway. The weather ahead can damage your pavement if water freezes in cracks. And that can mean costly repair work and even trips and injuries. Those unrepaired cracks can grow, causing even more trouble. Angi recommends inspecting your pavement for cracks and loose pavers, using a patch kit to fix and seal small cracks against water and ice damage, and repairing mortar between the pavers. When the rough weather hits, you’ll be glad you did.