Fall is the best time of year to aerate and over-seed your yard. This will promote a healthy stand of grass for the upcoming year. Be sure to use the “right” seed in the “right” area of your lawn. Grass that is intended for shady areas will not produce well areas that have full sun.
 
Each winter in many areas of the country irrigation systems must be 'put to bed' for the season. In the North, they must be completely drained and dried to prevent damage to the system components caused by water freezing inside the pipes, sprinklers, and valves. Serious damage and/or personal injury can result if improper or no winterization methods are employed.

The easiest way to winterize your system, of course, is to hire an irrigation contractor to do the job. Depending on the size of your system, it will cost between $50 and $150. Doing it yourself     will save you those dollars, and, after the first time, it should not take you more than an hour or  so.
 
NOW is a good time to Winterize your home to keep Old Man Winter out in the cold!
Check your HVAC system. Schedule an appointment to have a Technician clean and inspect the units—don’t wait til we have a cold snap to test your units!
Inspect all Exterior caulking and re-caulk, as needed.

Unhook your water hoses from exterior spigots and insulate spigot (normally it’s not cold enough in VA for them to freeze---but be prepared!
Close all of your foundation vents and install a fresh bulb in your crawl space. If we have a prolonged cold snap—leave the light on in the crawl—the heat it generates can help prevent frozen pipes!

Take a close look at the weather stripping on windows and doors. Make sure they have a tight seal. Your exterior door thresholds are adjustable—use it to your advantage!

Clean your gutters. Consider installing gutter covers to keep out leaves and debris. Snow fall added to wet leaves weighs a lot and can dislodge your gutters!
Reverse your ceiling fans, the fans will push warm air downward and force it to re-circulate.

Did you know that more than 35 million Americans live in regions most threatened by Atlantic hurricanes? Hurricane season began on June 1 and runs thru November.