This article about tips to winterize your home is sponsored by 1-800-GOT-JUNK?.

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With winter approaching, many homeowners are preparing for cold-weather storms. You may have several autumn items lingering on your To-Do List.

However, there are some important things that people often forget to check off the list before the first freeze. These action items can make your winter life worry-free and so much cozier.

Before the snow hits, here are the top 5 things you can do to prepare for the cold winter ahead.

Top 5 Tips to Winterize Your Home

No one likes unexpected situations, and few things can make a bad day worse than bad weather. Prepare for the unexpected this winter and save yourself a few headaches.

1. Avoid roof damage and prune your tree branches

The last thing you want in the middle of winter is a surprise leaky roof. Prevent roof damage by pruning tree branches back from your house. This keeps any branches that break under the weight of snow away from your roof (and your neighbor’s too).

You can rest easy by the fireplace knowing that the home will stay cozy and leak-free this winter.

2. Seal off water lines to prevent freezing pipes

By covering open pipes and disconnecting all garden hoses, you can ensure your water lines don’t freeze at the opening. After all, any water remaining in water spigots can freeze in the pipes and cause serious damage.

And of course, be sure to blow out your sprinklers so you don’t have even worse damage in the yard!

3. Weatherproofing house hack: re-caulk windows and add new weather stripping

Weatherproofing your home to combat winter cold doesn’t have to be difficult. You can re-caulk windows and other drafty areas on your own. Just clean the surface well, scrape back any excess gunk, and re-apply caulking.

You can do the same with weatherstripping. Often, you can find quality weatherstripping online or at your local hardware store. Avoid the stick-on kind for high-traffic areas.

4. Clean out your garage in time to park out of the snow

Who needs spring cleaning? Let’s normalize fall cleaning!

There’s nothing worse than waking up late in the morning only to discover your car is buried in snow. Stop running late for work and park in the garage!

If your garage is cluttered (like many garages), you can easily get rid of junk without a trip to the thrift store. Just call 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, and they’ll pick up your unused stuff right away.

They take anything from furniture and yard waste to household appliances, and can easily streamline your fall declutter process.

5. Clean rain gutters to prevent ice overspill

Full rain gutters lead to lots of icicle overspill, which can cause some dangerous stalactites. (Though your kids might love them, you probably don’t want to impale anyone).

Plus, ice overspill can lead to foundation and walkway damage, or basement leaks. Avoid costly structural damage and clean your rain gutters before it freezes.

Clean rain gutters will also limit the number of pests hatching around your home in the springtime.

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