The leaves are changing and temperatures are starting to dip, you know what that means – it’s time to winterize your home! Here are 10 tips to get you on track.

1. There’s nothing worse than waking up to a freezing house on a snowy day. Changing your furnace filters monthly ensures efficiency in the winter when your system is going overtime and regular tune-ups can add years of life to your heating system and help you avoid a mid-winter replacement. Tip: remember that hot air rises, run your fan clockwise to push hot air downward and circulate it around the room.

2. Heat is lost from the exterior of your water heater all the time, in winter this is exacerbated. Insulating your tank with a water heater blanket can cut the cost of running the heater by as much as 10 percent.

3. Are fall leaves clogging up your gutters? Make sure you clean them out before winter. Clogged gutters can lead to ice dams that prevent water from draining from the roof, causing water damage to the inside and outside of your home.

4. With all those exposed branches, fall may seem like the best time to trim shrubs and trees. However, experts suggest trimming branches closer to winter, just before that first snowfall. Pay special attention to weak branches that could snap when the snow starts falling.

5. Between furnaces, Christmas trees and chimneys, fires become all too common in the winter season. Change batteries in smoke detectors at least once a year, and invest in carbon monoxide detectors.

6. Avoid costly spring repairs to your sprinkler system by getting it professionally blown out.  In addition, detach garden hoses and drain all outside waterspouts.

7. Drafty or single-pane windows should be upgraded to something more efficient. If that’s not an option, be sure to invest in storm windows or window insulation kits.

8. Sealing up drafts in the home can save you 10-20 percent on your energy bill. Adding caulk around windows and weather stripping around doors is a good place to start. If you’re feeling like taking on a larger project, add more insulation to your attic and around pipes.

9. Patch cracks in the sidewalk and driveway. Cracks in cement and asphalt allow water to seep underneath and freeze, which then expands, lifting portions of the cement and leads to more cracks. Prevent cracks from ever forming by sealing your driveway every year.

10. If you have a wood-burning fireplace, chimneys need to be cleaned each year to prevent soot buildup, leading to harmful smoke and potential fires.

Now that you’re all prepped for winter, it’s time to enjoy the rest of fall. Check out Summit Sotheby’s International Realty’s favorite fall activities in Park City.