On Sunday most of the United States will set its clock back one hour, effectively “gaining” 60 minutes this fall just in time to get some last minute home improvement projects done around the house before the cold weather of winter sets in. You surely can’t do all these things in an hour, but you can definitely get a couple of them done and rest a little easier knowing that your house is that much more ready for winter.

Interior Home Projects

1. Change smoke detector batteries - This is the classic daylight savings time activity and many fire departments and other organizations around the country actually give away batteries this weekend just so people remember to do it. A simple smoke detector is one of the best ways you can keep your family safe in the event of a fire.

2. Change the batteries in your carbon monoxide detector - Many smoke detectors can also detect carbon monoxide, a deadly but odorless gas. My home actually has both right next to each other in one of my stairwells. And, yes, they both take AA batteries.

3. Change the batteries in your electronic thermostat - Don’t worry, this entire list isn’t going to be about changing batteries. An electronic thermostat can save you hundreds of dollars each year by automatically lowering your heat at the times of the day when you aren’t typically home. Most thermostats have low battery indicators but it’s a good idea to change them out before you’re stuck in that big snowstorm with no chance of running out to the store to get a fresh pair of batteries. Don’t have an electronic thermostat? Get one!

4. Check the pressure level on your fire extinguisher - You should always have at least a small fire extinguisher handy, especially in the kitchen. They’re relatively inexpensive and could save your home. But they don’t last forever and they do lose pressure over time.

5. Check and replace flashlight batteries - More battery checks! Find those emergency flashlights and replace the batteries before you need to stumble around for them in the dark. Even better, pick up a battery-free flashlight and never worry about having to spend money on flashlight batteries again!

6. Update your first aid kit - While you’re checking flashlights and fire extinguishers you might as well look at that old first aid kit you keep in the closet. Many medical items expire or dry out, so you’ll want to make sure everything is fresh and handy in case of an emergency. You might want to have more than one first aid kit in your home as well, just for easy access.

7. Child-proof everything again - Have children? Have a dozen different baby proof and child proof devises? Be sure to double-check them from time to time to make sure your little loved ones haven’t worn them out or broken them by playing with them constantly. Maybe your little ones can now reach or manipulate something they couldn’t before. Get down to their level and really give your house a once-over. I’ve had great luck using Tot Locks on our cabinets. You can often order Tot Locks online
for a lot less than they cost in some local stores.

8. Check or replace kitchen water filters - Whether you have a faucet water filter, a refrigerator water filter or simply a filter in a pitcher you keep in the fridge now might be a good time to check or replace them if needed.

9. Clean your oven and stove - The holiday trifecta is fast approaching and if there’s even a chance of you entertaining then you probably want a clean stove and oven when company comes over. Studies have shown that a clean stoves and ovens actually use slightly less energy because they are only heating your food and not all that extra “stuff.”

10. Install heavy drapes or curtains over large glass doors - I advocated using light-blocking curtains to save money on cooling costs, and a similar concept can be used for lowering heating costs. Curtains can be decorative, but in the winter time heavy curtains can also block drafts and keep a room much warmer by serving as a layer of insulation between the cold glass and warm room.

11. Reverse direction of your ceiling fans - Yes, most ceiling fans turn in two directions: one is for cooling the room and one is for warming the room by circulating warm are. Do you know which ceiling direction heats and which one cools?

12. Replace a few incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs - A lot of people are still somewhat resistant to these new light bulbs that use so much less energy. With the dark days and nights of fall and winter you’ll be using a lot more interior lights. Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) are a little more expensive but last much longer and use so much less energy that they pay for themselves many times over. If you’re still not sure just try switching one or two light bulbs in your house to the CFLs and give it a try for a month.

13. Touch up the paint on your walls - Again, with the likelyhood of visitors stopping by this holiday season why not grab a brush and use some of that early November daylight to touch up the dings and scratches your walls may have accumulated over the years. If you’re really feeling industrious the mild weather of fall is a great time to paint indoors because you can open the windows and let in some fresh air without freezing or sweating yourself right out of your home. I have a two year old so I have a lot of applesauce stains to paint over.

14. Recaulk the shower and tub - Yes, this is a thankless completely messy and generally no-fun sort of job. But a single leak around the base of a shower can cause hundreds, if not thousands of dollars in damage if it isn’t properly treated. An hour of time and a $4.00 tube of caulk is worth it every so often.

Basement Winter Preparation Projects

15. Take a tour of your basement - Look for any unexpected foundation cracks or leaks or anything out of place. Check both on the inside and outside as much as you can. A small foundation crack leaking in water can be a major problem, especially when that water freezes and starts prying things apart like a crowbar. (And, hey, you can always organize your basement if you get really bored on those long winter nights!)

16. Wrap your water heater in insulation - If you have a typical hot water heater then you can help keep it running more efficiently by wrapping it in a water heater jacket of insulation.

17. Insulate water pipes - The same is true for your water pipes, especially hot water pipes. Hot water pipes can be wrapped in foam tubes that can be glued or taped together. It’s a cheap and fast way to keep the hot water in your pipes warm for a much longer period of time so you’re not always running the hot water for five minutes.

18. Check air ducts for leaks - If you have any sort of forced air heat system then a single pinhole leak can ruin the efficiency of your entire duct system. Simply turn your fan or blower on and run your hands around the ducts, feeling and looking for any holes or leaks of air. Especially check around joints and connections which can loosen over time. For minor leaks a quick application of special foil tape (no, not “duct” tape) can often do the trick.

19. Inspect and replace clothes washer hoses - This is one a lot of people forget about. Those two hoses behind your clothes washer are not made of some magical material that will last forever. They’re probably made out of rubber and they will eventually dry out. Replace them if they feel old or brittle before they burst while you’re on vacation.

20. Clean out dryer filter - I’m not talking about the interior lint filter, but rather the filter hose that vents outside. That hose and vent can get clogged with lint and cause a fire. They should be inspected and cleaned out at least once a year. You can use a vacuum or duster to clean out the openings, but completely taking the hose off and looking through it is a much butter idea.

21. Change furnace filter - Again, if you have a forced hot air heating system you should probably replace the filter at least twice a year if not more. A clogged filter can cause all sorts of furnace problems and inefficiencies. If you haven’t changed it in a while now is the perfect time.

22. Schedule a heating system inspection - It only takes a single phone call, it often costs less than $100 and it could save you thousands in repairs. Most heating and cooling systems should be inspected and looked over by an expert every year or two. If you haven’t had your system looked at recently then pick up the phone now.

23. Turn on home humidifier - During the winter months a lot of homes get very dry with home heat, but a home humidifier can help put some moisture back in the air of your home and make your house much more comfortable during the winter months. If you have a home humidifier then you may have to switch it on or enable some air flow valves for it to work properly. Yes, many of them have filters that need to be inspected and replaced, too.

Garage Winterizing Projects

24. Prep your lawnmower for the winter - If you’re done mowing for the season then make sure your mower will serve you well next year by properly storing it for the winter months. Your lawnmower manual may have some tips, but on the off chance that you lost your manual you can check out some of these tips for winterizing a lawn mower.

25. Start up your snow blower - Put the lawnmower away and start up the snow blower if you have one. It’s no fun trying to troubleshoot a snow blower on a frosty dark morning when you have to get your car out of the driveway for that big important meeting with the boss. Instead get your snow blower running in the relatively balmy and peaceful sunlight of a November Sunday afternoon.

26. Stock up on icemelt, sand and snow shovels - By stocking up on all this stuff before winter comes you guarantee that you’ll be ready for it and you guarantee that you won’t need it. That’s just how life works. Better safe than sorry, though. Traditional ice melt is actually poisonous and can burn animal paws in certain circumstances. If you’re going to buy some ice melt this season, consider buying the pet and kid safe ice melt which won’t hurt your pet’s paws or harm any kids who might think those little pellets look like a lot of fun.

27. Clean your garage - This ranks right up there with caulking the shower, but with the colder weather you’re going to have less time and less motivation to make sure the garage is neat and tidy. It will be easier to find things, easier to move around in and generally safer if everything is put away where it belongs. Heck, you might even find some old tools you forgot you even had!

Exterior Home Winterizing Tasks

28. Inspect and clean out your chimney - After years of use a chimney can get blocked and cause fires to start. Having it inspected every year or so for soot blockage or cracks on the inside of the house or outside of the house will help you avoid breathing in smoke, dangerous gases or even keep a brick or two from falling on your head.

29. Prepare firewood - If you have a wood burning stove or fireplace now is the perfect time to get that woodpile stacked and in order for the long winter months. You may want to cover your woodpile with a tarp to keep it dry for as long as possible, even in the middle of a snow storm.

30. Check and order heating oil - Do you have an oil furnace? Consider having your tank inspected and think about purchasing heating oil now, before the prices go up when it is in high demand in the middle of a cold snap.

31. Put up your Christmas lights - Notice I said put them up, not turn them on. If you like to decorate your home with Christmas lights take advantage of the mild fall weather and put up your Christmas lights now. This way you avoid spending an afternoon trying to hang lights in the bitter cold of December and you can show up your neighbors by turning your lights on right after Thanksgiving! And, hey, don’t forget your can use your Christmas lights throughout the year for other uses as well.

32. Winterize your gas grill - There isn’t too much you necessarily need to do to winterize a propane grill, though giving it a good cleaning and covering it well will go a long way to making next year’s grilling season much more enjoyable. You can grill food in the winter as well, but you’ll want to be careful because gas vents and valves can freeze and cause problems.

33. Cover and store your lawn furniture - I’ve learned from experience that lawn and patio furniture lasts a lot longer if you cover or store it properly, protecting it from the snow, wind and cold weather as much as possible. Heck, protecting it from the direct sunlight for five months out of the year probably doesn’t hurt, either. I try to store glass topped tables inside and generally stack and cover the rest of my patio furniture with a heavy duty plastic tarp.

34. Inspect and replace caulk and weatherstripping around doors and windows - I could have broken this out into several items, but the process for checking doors and windows is essentially the same. Take a close look at the caulk on the outside of a window and weatherstripping around the inside of a window. If you see any cracks or missing pieces you’ll probably want to replace or repair. A tiny break in the seal around a window can lead to big drafts on windy and cold days.

35. Install storm doors and windows - If you have older windows in your home then you may need to install the “storm window” that goes on the outside of each window and helps insulate it and cut down on the drafts. If you have a storm door installed you may want to change out the screen for a pane of glass.

36. Check gutters for blockages and looseness - Gutters can fill up and get blocked with leaves and debris during the fall and then hold water and snow during the winter months. When that water freezes your gutters can become much heavier than normal and actually fall off your house, creating a potentially dangerous situation.

37. Prune away and dead or hanging branches on your trees - Again, the water and ice of winter can really weigh down on branches and entire trees. Couple heaving ice with a wind storm and you have a lot of branches and icicles falling on your yard, your home and you at the worst possible time. Cut down any branches that don’t look strong enough to withstand the winter and you’ll minimize your chances of having major damage in an ice or wind storm.

38. Cut back branches and shrubs against your home - For much the same reason as above, you’ll want to make sure your shrubs aren’t rubbing against your home during the winter months. Wind and ice can wear away siding and paint on your home and lead to unexpected repair costs later down the road.

39. Spread winter fertilizer on your lawn - You can even help your lawn during the winter months by using a special winter fertilizer that is designed to minimize cold weather damage and serve as a long term fertilizer so that your lawn can bounce back in the spring. You could even reseed your lawn now, but don’t apply fertilizer and seed at the same time.

40. Winterize your outside faucets and lawn sprinkler system - Before winter comes be sure to remove all hoses and store them inside or out of the weather and be sure to use the water shut off valves for the outdoor faucets. Lawn sprinkler systems usually need to be blown out with air or emptied of water so that the freezing temperatures of winter won’t cause sprinkler lines to burst.

41. Mulch and wrap your garden plants to keep them warm - Depending upon what you have in your garden or flowerbeds you may want to mulch and wrap some of your plants to protect them from the wind and cold. Mulching helps keep moisture in and regulates the ground temperature of plants while some gardeners wrap certain plants and bushes to protect them from the harsh weather of winter. Check out our guide on how to spread mulch for spring planting.

Get Your Car Read For Winter

42. Check your tire pressure and treads - Incorrect tire pressure can wear your tires unevenly and reduce their effectiveness while a worn tread can lead to less transaction and even a dangerous blow out. Use an accurate and affordable digital tire pressure gauge to make sure your tires are filled to the right PSI. You do not want to have to change a tire in the middle of a sleet and snowstorm on a late January night. Trust me, I speak from experience.

43. Stock up on cold weather supplies for your car - I live in suburban New Jersey, but I still have a bag of “stuff” that I keep in the car, especially during winter months. I fill it with some snacks, a couple bottles of water (only 3/4th full to allow for freezing), a blanket, some flares, matches a small first aid kit. You never know when a break down may occur and spending a few hours in a cold car while you wait for help can be made a lot less dangerous with an emergency supply kit.

44. Check and fill your windshield wiper fluid - With all that sand and slush being thrown up on your windshield all winter long a good full tank of windshield wiper fluid will help keep your windshield clear. There are lots of varieties of windshield wiper fluid but you may want to spend the extra dollar or so and buy specially formulated ice melting fluid for the winter months.

Winter Home Office Projects

45. Find house paperwork - Take five minutes this weekend and make sure you know where all your mortgage and home owner’s insurance paperwork is kept. If you don’t have a safe, consider getting one or putting it all in a safety deposit box at a bank. Don’t lose the key.

46. Re-evaluate your homeowner’s insurance amounts - While you’re trying to find that home owner’s insurance you may also want to reconsider the amount of money your home is insured for. If your home value has risen or dropped in the past several years then you may want to adjust your insurance amounts to be sure you’re adequately covered.

47. Update your computer virus scanner - Lots of homes have a t least one computer now and a simply virus scanner can keep them running a whole heck of a lot longer and make your time online much more enjoyable. Most virus scanning software has updates you can download and apply to make sure your computer is as safe as it can be. A few moments now could prevent you from losing your data or needing to buy a whole new computer in the future.

48. Get Quotes for Professional Home Improvements - Thinking about hiring someone to do some major renovations or home improvements in the next year or so? Now’s a good time to think about some of your options and weigh the pros and cons. Contractors and construction companies are typically much less busy in the fall and winter months and they’ll often give you lower prices just to keep business coming in their doors.

49. Examine Old Power Strips and Clean Behind Desks - A lot of “home offices” are now filled with electronic equipment and computers, all shoved into a back bedroom or corner area and if you’re like a lot of people you have almost a dozen things plugged into one outlet with a power strip. First, you should vacuum any dust or debris (old paper, receipts, pens, pencils, etc) that may have fallen back there. Then check out your power strip. Is it properly rated? Still working as it should? How old is it? It just takes a tiny spark behind a desk to start a fire, so be cautious and play it save.

50. Plan more home improvements - What better time than after a long summer of home improvements to start making plans and saving money for next year? Sure, you can do all sorts of interior projects all year long, but most exterior home improvement projects need to wait for better weather.

What? Did you plan to just sleep that hour away?