November is here and it has been glorious this fall. I am starting to put up holiday lights while the weather is fairly cooperative and notice the gutters, chipped paint, dirty windows, my roof shingles and then my head exploded with the topper thought—last year’s snow! Whether or not the snow finds us again this year, here are some smart winterization tips to protect you and your investment this coming winter.

Let’s start with the big dog—maintaining your roof (I heard a collective sigh right then).

The roof of your home experiences plenty of stress during the winter as the weight of ice and snow puts on much more pressure than the roof is typically used to. Any damage or leak in a roof can become much worse during the winter and even lead to a collapse. Only to other people, right? Well, why take the chance.

Start with inspecting your roof. A roofing professional can locate potential problems and let you know what you need to get your roof ready for winter. If any loose shingles need repaired, get that done pronto. Your roofer can do the repair along with a warranty, or you can do it yourself with roofer’s cement and roofing nails. Last but not least, it’s a dirty job but take the time to clean out your gutters. Clogged gutters impede melting snow taking the path of least resistance. Our beautiful ponderosas leave annual gifts for us to rake up and haul away. Keep them out of your gutters during the winter.

Get your roof rake out of storage and have it handy!

Have your furnace and/or HVAC system serviced. The middle of winter is the worst time for your furnace to go on the fritz and that’s when they usually do. Paying $100-$200 for an annual service is well worth the investment.

A local home inspector I know uses the candy holidays—Halloween and Easter—as annual reminders for homeowners to check their smoke detectors. Get a can of air and have batteries on hand and blow out the dust particles in all of your smoke detectors at least once a year. How clean is your air return vent that is usually located in your ceiling, stairwell or up high on a wall? If cobwebs and dust are building up you have a pretty good idea that your smoke alarms are also collecting those minute particles that will trigger your smoke detectors. They usually go off at 2 a.m. so that is enough motivation for me to keep these two areas free and clear of unnecessary dust.

Another important winterization tip here is to ensure your sprinkler system is blown out and you have disconnected your hoses from your hose bibs. I forgot to detach my hoses last year and used my hose in the spring—huge water collection in the crawl space! Luckily my plumber was available yet I surely could have avoided that silly expense had I just used a simple checklist. We all get busy right?

For homeowners who have their homes listed for sale, doing these maintenance items show a potential buyer that you are being proactive in protecting your home, now and in the future. For those of you considering listing (or re-listing) in the spring, doing these maintenance items will bode well for you in the future sale of your home. And finally for those of you staying put—take the stress out of wondering how this winter will go and be ready! You’ll be glad you did.

Cindy King is a principal broker with Re/Max Key Properties. King has lived in Central Oregon since 1978 and has been a full-time Realtor since 1996. She has helped more than 800 families with their real estate goals, with buying, selling and investing. From 2002-2005 Cindy served on the board and was president of the Central Oregon Association of Realtors in 2005. She has been an instructor for the association and has served on the Professional Standards Committee as well as various committees within the association. Her 12-year-old son, Nathan, aspires to be a chef and they both enjoy skiing, reading and computer games (well he likes computer games more than she!)