Spring may have the reputation as the busy clean-up season, but there’s no shortage of work to be done when it comes to preparing your home for the long winter months ahead.

Before the deep freeze sets in, there are important steps to take that could end up saving you even more effort—and money—later on. Here are four easy and essential steps to take so you can winterize your home.

1. Clean out your gutters

Autumn means changing leaves. It also means falling leaves—and as they descend, your gutters can get clogged. If this happens, melting snow can have a devastating effect on your home as it gets blocked with frozen leaves and other debris. Rather than being diverted from your home’s foundation, water can seep down into it, eventually creating cracks that compromise it and leading to mould and even flooding.

2. Turn outdoor water off

Water freezes as it expands. You don’t want it to do this while it’s in your pipes; it can cause them to burst. Stow your garden hoses away in the shed or garage and shut off the water connection to your outdoor faucets. Make sure they’re completely drained as well.

3. Apply weatherstripping

Easy to find at your local hardware store, weather-stripping material isn’t difficult to apply around your doors and windows. Doing so will keep you toasty and help you save on your heating bill, too. For added protection, also attach draft stoppers under your doors.

4. Prune the trees on your property

Winterizing your home doesn’t only require tending to its actual structure. The trees on your property that provided shade on hot days can became a potential danger in the winter. In sub-zero temperatures, branches can freeze. Weighted down, dead branches could collapse, damaging your home or anything else in their path. Get them pruned before this happens.

Photo credit: Liz West