Is your home ready for winter? The wonderful folks from Habitat for Humanity offer the following steps to avoid problems during the winter season.
1. Lock all of your windows. Window locks don’t just keep out unwanted visitors, they also keep your window sash properly compressed against the windows weatherstripping.
2. If you have a forced hot air system, change the filter in your furnace and make sure that the floor and wall registers are not blocked by furniture.
3. Shut off and drain the valve leading to your outside spigot.
4. Clean your gutters, because clogged gutters and downspouts can promote the formation of ice dams during the winter
5. Get ready now for the big storm of the season, have gas for the snow blower and batteries for your flashlight.
And a few tips for outdoors:
6. Have a good shovel ready for clearing your paths and driveways. 
7. If the temperatures fall below zero (Celsius), the snow will turn into ice, and this will be dangerous both for cars and people. Be careful when you choose deicing products, you should consider a few factors, such as the temperature outside, the side effects of these chemicals, and the price. Sand may also work well to prevent the freezing of snow.
8. Disconnect garden hoses
9. Insulate/cover outside faucets
10. Drain irrigation systems
Have a safe winter!