Winter Home Preparation: Checklist

Last week, we focused on getting the inside of our homes winter-ready—checking winter gear, swapping out closets, and prepping a basic emergency kit. You can read that post: How To Organize for Winter: Gear, Closets + Emergency Prep

Today, we’re heading outside to tackle the rest of the winter home preparation checklist—because getting your outdoor spaces and car ready for winter is just as important (and honestly, super satisfying once it’s all done).

If you live somewhere cold or snowy, these steps will help you stay cozy, safe, and organized all season long.

Store Patio Furniture + Outdoor Toys

Getting Organized For Winter - Outside Cushions

Let’s be honest: no one’s sipping lemonade on the patio in January. Time to pack it all away! We store our patio cushions in the garage and stack our chairs under the porch. Then we cover everything with a big tarp to protect it from snow and ice.

As for outdoor toys, we cut the zip-ties from the bins that were hanging on the fence and store everything in the garage. (I shared our outdoor toy storage setup [here]—still works like a charm.) The water table goes in, the bubble wands and chalk are packed away, and the grill gets a good wipe-down before we store the tools inside and cover it up.

Rake Those Leaves For Winter Home Preparation

Yes, it’s a chore… but it can actually be fun. We love jumping into giant leaf piles, and the kids get such a kick out of hearing the crunch under their boots. This year, both my kiddos are all in on leaf cleanup—no one’s scared of the grass anymore (progress!!).

Make it a family event: rake, jump, bag. Repeat.

Clean Up the Flowerbeds

If your flowerbeds are still holding onto those sad, end-of-season blooms, now’s the time to clean them up. We already pulled ours earlier this fall, but I always recommend doing a quick sweep before winter sets in. This is also a great time to plant spring bulbs.

I love the bulb packs from Costco—they’re easy to plant and make spring feel like less of a surprise.

Wash the Windows

Getting Organized For Winter - Wash Windows

I leave this to my husband because, in his words, “You don’t get them sparkly enough.”

So now, he’s officially the Window Guy. He swears by Spray-X Foaming Glass Cleaner + a microfiber cloth + squeegee for the outside.

Pro tip: this is a game-changer before the sunlight disappears for the season—it’ll make every last drop of sunshine sparkle through.

Clean the Gutters For Winter Home Preparation

Not glamorous, but so important. Clogged gutters = ice dams = $$$ repairs.

It’s best to clean them twice a year, especially in the fall after the last of the leaves have dropped. If you live near a lot of trees, three to four times a year might be better. Grab a ladder, clear out the gunk, and you’re good to go.

Organize the Garage

Getting Organized For Winter - Hanging Garage

Our garage reveal from earlier this year made a huge difference when it came time to store our summer stuff. (You can see the before + after [here]!) Now we just have to load in the patio cushions, outdoor toys, and anything else that won’t survive a freeze.

Don’t forget to prep your winter tools! That means:

Getting your snow blower serviced
Emptying any leftover gas from the lawn mower
Checking your snow shovels to make sure they’re in good shape

Because nothing’s worse than scrambling to buy a shovel during a snowstorm.

Winterize Your Car

If your car is your second home (hi, fellow kid chauffeurs), this one’s huge. Get it washed, serviced, and make sure everything’s in working order:

Rotate or replace your tires
Refill washer fluid and check wiper blades
Test the battery and brakes

Then stock up on emergency items. I always keep these in the car during the winter:

A mini emergency kit (jumper cables, first-aid kit, ice scraper, etc.)

Blankets

Extra hats + gloves

Snacks + water

Flashlight