While November brings time to enjoy falling leaves, bonfires, crisp weather and Thanksgiving celebrations, it’s also a good time to make sure your home is ready for guests, the holidays and the winter months ahead. Our checklist this month includes a few tips to help make your home a warm, safe and comfortable place to enjoy with family and friends.

Schedule a furnace tune-up. Stay toasty during the approaching cold weather and save money on energy bills by having your system checked now to avoid outages and potentially costly repairs during the holidays.

Hire a chimney sweep. Ensure your fireplace is ready to provide warm nights all winter by having your chimney inspected and cleaned by a professional before the first frost.

Check fire extinguishers. Locate your fire extinguishers and be sure their gauge shows enough pressure.

Turn off exterior faucets. Drain the water from your outdoor faucets and garden hoses after turning off the exterior faucets from inside the house. Water in pipes can freeze easily, which can cause pipes to burst.

Prepare your guest room. Launder throw pillows and blankets, dust, vacuum and remove all random items that you may have been storing there.

Clean the kitchen. Get ready for turkey day by cleaning out the pantry and refrigerator. Throw away old food and expired products, clear clutter from countertops and clean all surfaces. Wipe range hood, remove the exhaust filter and run it through the dishwasher.

Buy cold medicine. Make sure your medicine cabinet is fully stocked now rather than when you are not feeling well. It’s also a good time to throw away expired cold and flu medicines.

Test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Press the “test” button on your alarms to verify they work. If they don’t work, replace the battery. If they still don’t work, replace the unit rather than waiting until it chirps in the middle of the night.

Once you check these items off your list, you’ll be ready to relax and enjoy time with family and friends by a crackling fire.