With temperatures slowly dropping, the final days of summer and the first few days of fall are perfect for getting your home ready for the new season. Between fall storms and winter snow, it’s important to make sure your home can handle it all. The following are some of the tasks you should plan on tackling before fall gets into full swing.

Schedule a Furnace Inspection

Don’t wait until your furnace conks out in the middle of a cold spell to find out that there was something wrong with it. Play it safe, and hire an inspector to check for problems and replace the filter. This will help your furnace heat your home more efficiently, resulting in lower energy bills.

Keep Out the Cold

Check the seals around all of your home’s windows and doors to make sure they’re intact. If you find any cracks or drafty spots, use caulking to seal them up. If you have older windows that are prone to drafts, cover them with heavy drapes to keep cold air out.

Clean Your Gutters

If your gutters are blocked up, rainwater and snow could collect on your roof or in the gutters and cause leaks. Make sure your gutters and downspouts are free of debris, bird nests, dead leaves and twigs.

Inspect Your Roof

Check for loose or broken shingles that could leave your home vulnerable to damage from rain, wind or snow. You can do this yourself, or have a professional roofing company do it for you. Have any loose or broken shingles replaced.

Check Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Give these devices fresh batteries, then test them to make sure that they’re working correctly. Having properly working detectors is especially important when you have a gas furnace and fireplace that will be used during fall and winter.