Winter is quickly approaching, and if you're a homeowner, that means it's time to winterize your property.

Use this checklist to get started:

1. Ensure garden hoses are disconnected from hose bibs. Older homes may not have ‘frost free’ hose bibs and should be shut off from the inside as well. Any other outdoor faucets and exposed pipes should be wrapped.

2. Clean out your gutters and downspouts. This helps ensure no blockages during the spring thaw.

3. Use caulk or weather stripping to close up any gaps around doors or windows. For larger openings, consider using spray foam insulation, ensuring that these openings are not vents. If vents do not have a mesh or flap, consider installing a mesh or flap and replace damaged vents. Rodents will often try to get in through openings as the weather gets colder.

4. Re-seal your deck to prevent damage. Consider re-sealing your driveway as well.

5. Reverse your ceiling fans so they run clockwise (this will force warm air downward.)

6. Hang thick curtains or quilted drapes for extra insulation.

7. Replace the filter in your furnace. This should be done every 1-3 months depending on the furnace and surrounding neighbourhood conditions (construction zones and near major roadways etc will have more dust and dirt).

Winterizing can keep your home comfortable during the colder months, as well as reduce your energy bills.

Buying a new home takes some planning and some strategic saving; but with a little forethought coupled with consistent action, you can make home buying a reality.

Be aware that you will need at least a 20% down payment of the purchase price of the house to avoid having to use Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) for default insurance. However, using default insurance through CMHC allows you to place a down payment of only 5% of the purchase price of the home. Keep in mind that you will pay more on your mortgage by obtaining default insurance.

Below are some tips to help you save money for a down payment on a house:

Take a look at your monthly expenses. Determine what you can realistically afford to put away per month. Once you have determined that amount, open a separate savings account, or a Tax Free Savings Account (TFSA) to help build your savings. Keep in mind that the yearly amount you can put into a TFSA is $7000. The amount can change yearly according to government standards. TFSA also allows for unused contribution room from previous years, as well as any withdrawals you made in the previous year.

Liquidate some unwanted items. Do you have any household items you have been meaning to get rid of? Maybe it’s time to sell them and put that money toward a greater purpose.

Take a look at your monthly expenses and spending habits. Is there anything you can cut back on? Things that aren’t a necessity can easily be cut from monthly spending. This doesn’t mean you never go out for dinner again, but take a look at what can be eliminated, adding that money back into your savings.

Think about a part-time job. If you have the means to do so, look at taking on extra work. If it puts a couple hundred in your house savings, then seriously consider it.

Pay down your debt. Credit cards carry high interest rates and will take your hard earned money that could go toward your house. Pay it off and start putting that money away for your dream home.

When searching for a new home, you need to determine what type of home you would like. There are many types out there and all have different benefits. Below is a list of the numerous styles to assist you with your house-hunting process.

Bi-Level: A bi-level is when the home is split into two levels. A good indicator of a bi-level is when, walking through the front door, you are immediately greeted by stairs going up or stairs going down.

Bungalow: A bungalow is a home with a main floor and no upper level.

Split Level: This type of home is split into 3 or 4 levels. A good indicator is when you walk in the front door and there are stairs going up or down. The upper level will have further stairs going to another upper level, while the downstairs will have another set of stairs going to a lower level.

Two Storey : This home will have a main floor with a second full floor.

1 ½ Storey: This house style will have a main floor and then half of a second floor.

Condominium: A condominium or condo is in reference to the form of ownership. With a condominium, regardless if a condo apartment, townhouse, detached or semi-detached; you own an individual unit but share in the expenses and maintaining of the common aspects, such as elevators, grounds, or hallways. Condominiums can be one level, as with apartments; or two or more levels, as with townhouses.

Keeping your home free of dust is a challenge in summer. The warmer weather tempts us to keep doors and windows open which exposes our homes to dust and dirt. Poor airflow traps dust and even if you vacuum regularly, dust accumulates quickly on any horizontal surface.

Here are six quick tips to help keep your home dust-free as the summer heats up.

Suck it up – Regular vacuuming will minimize dust. Carpets and rugs are dust traps, which is why some folks believe they detrimentally affect your health. But they more than make up for it in winter because floorboards and tiles can be cold on the feet!

New cleaning regime – Consider updating your cleaning habits. Dusting is a chore, especially if you have lots of photographs and ornaments on your shelves so a declutter may be in order. Using microfiber cloths and dusters is optimal. Dust before you vacuum so anything you knock off your shelves is sucked up.

Allergies – One way to minimize reaction to dust is to purchase allergy encasings for mattresses and pillows. They prevent dust mites that cause issues such as asthma.

It's curtains – If anyone in your family suffers from dust-related allergies, consider blinds and shutters on your windows rather than thick, heavy curtains which can be a dust magnet. Alternatively, install machine-washable curtains.

Update filters – You should change the filters in your HVAC system (ex: furnace) regularly to help capture dust and prevent it from being blown around your home. Swapping out filters every three months is the optimal schedule. If you have ceiling fans, clean the blades regularly.

Pure air – Another idea is to use an air purifier with HEPA filters which will reduce the amount of dust that will settle on shelves and other surfaces and ease the volume of dust in the air. Dust particles are more likely to stick to surfaces in high humidity.

An important step in selling your home is showing it to prospective buyers. The impressions the prospective buyers get from the showing can have a major impact on the home’s perceived desirability and can influence negotiations if they decide to put an offer on your home. As such, it’s a must to keep your home presentable to those who are in the market to buy. While it’s true that showing your home can be a juggling act that requires consistently being on top of things, with a few tweaks, you can make this part of selling your home less stressful.

• Preparing your home for selling means decreasing the clutter and making everything more manageable. Less is more. Once you have organized and prepped your home, it should be a little easier to keep things in their place.

• Many hands make light work, so get the whole family onboard with pitching in. The kids, if old enough, can ensure that their things are put away when needed and can help with simple cleaning tasks.

• Make it a habit of putting things away once you are finished with them.

• Have quick and easy cleaning supplies on hand for places like the bathrooms and kitchen. Disposable wipes are perfect for easily wiping down sinks, counter tops, and mirrors.

• If you have a slow cooker, use it. It’s great for prepping meals the night before, and dinner will be ready when you arrive home. This is handy if you are pressed for time because you are expecting a showing and not sure how you are going to feed the family before running out the door.

• Before bed each night, have everyone in the family lend a hand in preparing the home for the next day’s showings. Rushing around in the morning before work and school will easily become tiresome. With a little work beforehand, you can decrease the stress in your life until your house sells.