Use the Last Days of Summer to Prepare for Winter

School is starting, fall is around the corner, and it is a great time to get the house, including the garage door ready for the new seasons. Storm windows that were removed in the spring need to be found and cleaned. This is also a great time to fix any screens that have gotten holes in them falls crisp air can provide a respite to Air Conditioning, but even small tears can let in annoying pests.

While checking the screens check for how sealed the windows are; caulking older windows where the wood has pulled back from the glass can help with heating bills. If the house uses heating oil, now is the time to check the level. Filling up the tank now and then keeping a eye on the thermostat. If it has been a while since the houses heating system was checked, schedule an inspection. It may not need to be done next week, but as weather gets colder appointments start disappearing.  

This is also a great time to look over the winter clothes. Proper storage can make this really easy. Well labeled boxes or bins  should keep the clothes clean. Anything that needs to go to the dry cleaner can be taken now before the first cold snap  occurs. While the storage bins are being turned over take a moment to think about what is coming up. Halloween decorations will be coming out next, so go ahead and leave them at the top of the pile.

Check the donation/sale box. Every house should have one of these whose specific purpose is to hold the clothes or household items that aren't being used. When the bin is full take it to a charity shop. If a yard sale is in the works more than one bin might be filled. Be honest about the goods though. Shirts that have stains or look more worn might be better moved to a donation bin. Many charity shops sort through clothes that are received and items that are beyond their use are handed off to third world countries or shredded into insulation.

This is also a good time to think about unused items.  Put a label on a box, especially one that hasn't been obviously opened in a while. Look through it briefly. Throw it away or into the donate box at once if it hasn't been used in 5 years or more. If it is less than 1 year put a date on the box for it's disposal. Storing boxes of unused items doesn't make anyone’s life better and anyone who has had to sort through a late parents household will agree that it never gets any easier.

Clearing out shelf space now can help prepare for winter. Perhaps finding the extra few square feet to squeeze in the car, if that has been a problem. Think vertically not just horizontally. Behind many garage doors are indoor/outdoor porches.  If the car can sit in the driveway, perhaps the garage can be the quiet workspace someone in the house has desperately needed.  Take the time now during the last days of summer and before fall business takes over to prepare for winter.