The first hard freeze finds every weak spot around a house, from a cracked outdoor spigot to a young evergreen that turns brown by February. Fortunately, knowing how to winterize your home and yard ahead of time prevents most of these problems. Usually, one or two weekends of work in October or early November is enough.
This checklist focuses on the outside of your home: hoses, irrigation, gutters, plants, and tools. It also covers a few quick indoor tasks that protect pipes. The steps work for homes across the U.S. and Canada. If you live in the Southern Hemisphere, follow the same list in April or May.
The first step when you winterize your home is the garden hose. Water left in a hose freezes, splits the hose, and can push ice back into the faucet. Disconnect every hose, drain it by stretching it down a slope, and coil it loosely. Then store it in a shed, garage, or basement. Sunlight and frost both shorten hose life, so bringing them inside pays off.
Older outdoor spigots have an interior shut-off valve. First, close that valve. Next, open the outside faucet and let the remaining water drain out. Frost-free sillcocks don’t need an interior shut-off. However, you still need to remove the hose, or trapped water can freeze inside the valve. Foam faucet covers from the hardware store add one more layer of protection.
In cold climates, in-ground sprinkler systems need to be drained, usually by blowing compressed air through the lines. Most homeowners hire an irrigation company for this job. It often costs less than replacing a single cracked backflow preventer. If you use drip tubing, open the end caps, let the lines drain, and store the timer indoors. Our guide to drip irrigation for raised beds shows how to reconnect everything in spring.
Clogged gutters hold water that freezes, backs up under shingles, and causes ice dams. Wait until most leaves have fallen. Then scoop out the debris and flush the gutters with a hose before you put it away. Also, make sure downspouts empty at least 4 to 6 feet from your foundation and away from planting beds.
Don’t bag your leaves. Instead, run them over with a mower to shred them, then spread them on beds or add them to the compost pile. Shredded leaves protect soil, feed earthworms, and save money on mulch. Our fall garden chores list explains when to apply winter mulch and which plants to leave standing.
Evergreens keep losing moisture through their needles all winter. If they go into the cold dry, they are more likely to suffer winter burn. So give arborvitae, boxwood, and newly planted trees a deep soak every week or so without rain. Keep going until the soil freezes. For new privacy screens, our guide to Green Giant arborvitae spacing covers first-year care.
In windy, exposed spots, a simple burlap screen on the windward side cuts drying winds. Avoid wrapping plants tightly in plastic, since it traps heat on sunny days and moisture at night. Also, brush heavy snow off shrubs gently with a broom. That way, branches don’t snap under the weight.
Terra-cotta and ceramic pots can crack when wet soil freezes. Meanwhile, tender plants like geraniums, citrus, and tropical houseplants won’t survive frost. Move them inside before nights fall below about 45°F. Our guide on how to overwinter potted plants explains how to check for pests and help plants adjust to indoor light.
Scrape soil off shovels, trowels, and pruners, then wipe the metal with a light coat of oil to prevent rust. Sharpen blades now, so they are ready on the first warm day of spring. In addition, hang tools off the floor in a dry spot.
Either run the mower until the tank is empty or add fuel stabilizer to a full tank. Next, clean grass from under the deck and check the blade. Many repair shops also offer off-season tune-ups at lower prices than in spring.
Clean cushions and store them indoors, since damp fabric grows mildew. Then cover or stack furniture in a sheltered spot. Finally, empty birdbaths and fountains that can crack in a freeze, or switch to a heated birdbath for winter birds.
Most people think about pipes last, yet they are the costliest part to fix if you skip this step when you winterize your home. Pipes in unheated spaces like crawl spaces, garages, and exterior walls freeze first. Slip foam pipe insulation over them; it’s cheap and easy to cut to length. If you travel in winter, never set the thermostat below about 55°F. For more ways to cut drafts, ENERGY STAR’s guide to sealing and insulating your home shows where air leaks usually hide. If you heat with wood, the National Fire Protection Association recommends a yearly chimney inspection.
The best time to winterize your home is before overnight lows regularly fall below 32°F. In the northern U.S. and most of Canada, that means October. Farther south, November is usually fine. Check the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map or your local frost dates to plan your timing. Meanwhile, keep a small emergency kit ready, with flashlights, batteries, water, and blankets. Ready.gov’s winter weather page has a full checklist.
Shut them off before the first night forecast to drop below 28°F. A light frost rarely damages pipes, but a hard freeze can crack a spigot in a single night.
Usually not. Most drip lines drain on their own once you open the end caps. However, you should bring the timer, filter, and pressure regulator indoors, since those parts crack easily.
Not all of them. Leave healthy perennials and seed heads standing for birds and pollinators. Remove only diseased foliage and vegetable garden debris.
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