While a Texas winter is milder than most, it’s still important to transition your home with the seasons for protection and optimal efficiency. We’ve gathered some tips on preparing your home for winter that are crucial to ensuring you’re cozy all winter long and don’t come across any costly issues.

Trim Your Trees

The last thing you want to deal with during the first heavy rain or wind is a large tree branch falling onto your roof, or worse, into your house. HouseLogic recommends trimming any overhanging tree limbs or branches so that they’re all at least 3 feet away from your home.

Clean Your Gutters

Transitioning from fall to winter means bags and bags of fallen leaves and clogged gutters and downspouts. A great way to prepare for winter is to clean out your gutters – removing any leaves, twigs, or other debris that has accumulated there over the past couple of months. This is also a great time to double-check that all of your gutters are in good condition and replace any that may be sagging or trapping water before it’s too late and you’re left to deal with expensive repairs.

Inspect the Roof

While we don’t necessarily need to worry about snow piling up on the roof, it’s still important to inspect the roof to ensure there are no damaged shingles. You’ll want to replace any damaged shingles to ensure there is no leakage in your home this winter. If you have a chimney, also be sure to look around the outside perimeter to ensure there are no cracks that may soon become the source of a leak.

Seal Doors and Windows

There’s nothing worse than trying to get cozy on the couch after a long day and feeling a cold draft coming from a door or window. A key element to keeping your house warm in the winter is to ensure that your doors and windows are properly weather-stripped and sealed.

Swap Out Your Window Treatments

A huge loss of heat in your home actually stems from your windows not being properly covered! While the first step is to check your weatherstripping, the second step is to upgrade your window treatments for a better insulated, thicker option, such as draperies. If you’re looking for an energy-efficient option that will keep the heat in, we have an article dedicated to the best energy-efficient window treatments. While they are commonly used to block out the heat, it also means they’re great at keeping it in during the colder months! Now through December 7th, you can save big on qualifying Hunter Douglas purchases. To take advantage of this savings event, peruse our promotions page.

Test Your Heater

Last, but most definitely not least, you’ll want to test your heater prior to turning it on for the first time this winter. Give your heating system a full run-through to ensure that all systems are functioning properly. There’s nothing worse than going to turn your heater on for the first time when it’s already cold and finding out it’s broken!

When the first real cold front hits, you want to be warm and comfortable in your home – not worrying about your exterior or appliances. These tips for preparing your home for winter will keep you happy all winter long. We hope these tips were helpful to you, and as always, our team is here to help if you’re looking to upgrade your window treatments for the winter!