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Top tips to prepare your home for winter

It may be as small as cleaning your fridge coils to make it run more efficiently, or as large as packing away the summer clothes to make room for jumpers and coats. Whether it's in your head or it's made it onto paper, everyone's got a to-do list to get their home ready for winter. Here's how to make the job a lot more manageable

• Tasks that take 15 minutes
• Tasks that take 30 minutes
• Tasks that take an hour
• Tasks that take an hour or more

I really hate to make lists, probably because they remind me of school and rules. I don't enjoy having to think about all the tasks that accompany the changing of the seasons, you wonder how you're going to do it all. The answer? Re-think the way you attack your to-do list.

Not all chores are created equal. As you make your list for this year - you'll find plenty of suggestions below, along with the approximate time each job takes - think about which tasks are most important. There's one group I think of as must-dos. There's just no getting around these if you want to keep your home and all its contents in good working condition. Must-dos can help you save money and avoid future damage. In some cases, neglecting them can even be dangerous.

I call the other group the 'want-to-dos'. You're more likely to spend time indoors during autumn and winter, and with the arrival of the holiday season you're more likely to entertain friends and family. You and your guests would surely enjoy a clean and orderly home. Take care of the want-to-dos, such as cleaning your china, crystal and silver for the holidays - and you'll have just that.

Again, the good news is that you do have some choice about which tasks to take on. It's your home, so you get to pick your priorities. What's more, most of the chores listed below can be completed in only 15 - 30 minutes. Very few will take as long as an hour and some are covered with a simple phone call to the right professional. Look over the list, and fit the jobs in when they best suit your schedule. Choose your own want-to-dos!

Tasks that take 15 minutes:

1. Change the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. They're lifesavers; treat them that way.
2. Arrange to have the chimney or flu cleaned. Blocked residue or birds' nests can disrupt ventilation and endanger your health.
3. Following a visual inspection of the house exterior (see 30 minutes or under), make arrangements with roofers, masons, painters or other professionals to handle repairs you won't be doing yourself. Don't delay - putting off small problems now can lead to serious structural damage later.
4. Vacuum refrigerator coils. Otherwise, your refrigerator will drive up your energy bill as it works overtime to cool food.
5. Rotate and flip the mattress. Why? To avoid those awful sags and extend the life of your mattress.
6. Call the power company to trim any dead branches along power lines in your area. Dangling branches can create emergencies if they fall onto lines.
7. Check the expiration date of your fire extinguisher and verify that the gauge is within proper operating range. Replace it if it's past its prime.
8. Clean your china, crystal and silver. I suggest you clean in batches to make the job more manageable. For example, wash the good dinner plates with the usual dishwasher load one night, wash the good salad plates another night and so on. Handle items that must be hand-washed, or silver that must be polished, in the same way: a small batch at a time.

Tasks that take 30 minutes:

1. Inspect the exterior of your home. Does the roof need attention? Are the TV aerial mountings and fittings secure? Are the gutters clean and reinforced? Do you see any loose or decaying boards, loose bricks or hairline cracks that need to be patched? Make a list and tackle repairs before winter sets in.
2. Weather-strip any doors or windows. A tight seal means low energy bills.
3. Oil power tools, drain gas from the lawn mower and deal with any other maintenance the mowing equipment requires.
4. Vacuum and clean space heaters. This will avoid dust build-up, increase efficiency and decrease the risk of fire or explosion.
5. Clean out the medicine cabinet. Dispose of knick-knacks, clutter and expired medicine, toiletries and cosmetics.

Tasks that take an hour:

1. Clean outside gutters and clear roof of debris. A clean roof is less likely to suffer damage during the harsh months of winter.
2. Fresh is best! Prepare your bedroom for cold weather with freshly laundered winter linens and blankets and a clean mattress. Save yourself time next spring and wash summer linens before you store them away.
3. Store or cover and seal window air-conditioners and cover central air-conditioning units. Doing so protects against condensation build-up and environmental damage.
4. Defrost the extra freezer chest in the basement or garage. This task takes some time, but helps your freezer run more efficiently.
5. Clean out the refrigerator and/or freezer. Don't be surprised to find a science project or two growing in your vegetable bin!

Tasks that take an hour or more:

1. Pull summer clothing from your wardrobes and drawers and replace them with warm, winter clothing. Now's the time to weed out articles you no longer wear; you could donate them to a local charity.
2. Clean out the garage. Do you really need that rusted old bicycle?
3. Shampoo the rugs. Rent a rug shampooer or invest in your own vacuum shampooer.
4. Clean or revive tired-looking drapes by tossing them into the dryer on an air-only cycle.

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