With August already here, it’s hard to believe that fall is right around the corner. I am sure that you (like me!) cannot wait for the crisp mornings, hay rides, and pumpkin flavored everything that autumn has to offer! With that said, however, there are a number of steps to take to ensure that your home is well-prepared for chillier weather. Continue below for tips on how to best maintain your home in the coming transitional weather:

1 – Review your air quality and flow. This is time to clear out any nasty build-up in vents or fans. This will help prevent household fires!

2 – Inspect your heating system. Trust us, you do not want to be caught in cold weather with a busted heater. Just take the time to get it checked out and make sure it’s running smoothly! Also, make sure to change your furnace filters.

3 – Light the fire! Crank up your fireplace for a test run to ensure that everything is working correctly and safely. You can always call a chimney sweep to really clean out the area.

4 – Paint now. Although this is not normally thought of, make sure to do any interior painting now when there is warmer weather so that you can keep windows open for any ventilation needed!

5 – Insulate, insulate, insulate. Go through and make sure everything is in tact with your house’s insulation and replace anything that needs it. Trust us, you will be happy when those nights turn cold and you are trying to figure out why the hear just will not stay inside.

6 – Decorate and enjoy! Don’t forget the most important part of fall preparation… make the house pretty! Whether you are carving pumpkins or creating leaf garlands, you can have fun with making your home as beautifully autumnal as possible!