Putting Your Home To Bed For The Winter


Talk to any gardener you know, and they’ll probably mention “putting their garden to bed for the winter”.

In the gardening world that might mean raking leaves, pulling out annual plants, weeding, and putting down a layer of compost and mulch. Taking these steps helps put your garden in great shape for spring.

Did you know your home would benefit from the same kind of action?

Here are our tips for putting your home to bed for the winter. These are the perfect steps to take this autumn before the cold and wet winter arrives.

  1. Power wash your deck, driveway, and home. A spring and fall chore, power washing removes the gunk and grime, reducing the growth of mold and keeping the surfaces you walk on safe during the fall and winter months. Pro tip: if your home is made of stucco, power washing may not be recommended as it can damage the surface.

  2. Repave walkways and driveways. Autumn is the perfect time to tackle repaving. Typically, this is a slower time of year for contractors doing this work so you’ll get better pricing!

  3. Check windows and doors. Often these remain open for all or part of the spring and summer. Are they in good working order? Is the weather-stripping in good shape? This is the time to remove screens, which you should store until spring. It’s also a great time to wash the interior and exterior surfaces of your windows.

  4. Have your roof checked. The time to discover problems is before the winter season. A good roof cleaner can identify potential issues before they cause damage to your home.

  5. Service your systems. Your furnace should be serviced annually. Autumn is the perfect time to do that. You don’t want to discover there’s a problem with the heating system when the digits are dropping toward freezing!

  6. Put your actual garden to bed. Pull weeds. Rake leaves. Add mulch. Trim trees and bushes. And many spring-blooming bulbs need to be planted in the fall, so now is the time to do that.

  7. Remove and store outdoor furniture. If you don’t have a place to store outdoor furniture, getting weather-proofed coverings will help protect it during the fall and winter.

  8. Once most of the leaves are down, clean your gutters. Many homeowners in areas with deciduous trees tackle this project twice in the fall – once before the leaves start falling to make sure gutters are clear of gunk that has accumulated since last autumn, and again after the main leaf fall has occurred.

Need recommendations for service providers to help you put your home “to bed” for the winter? Let us know! After many years as the area real estate experts, we have great relationships with the best service providers out there and would be happy to connect you with someone who can help!


Marti Reeder, Realtor, Managing Broker