Now that it's the time of year to get your house into shape for the winter, CTV's Chris Olsen looks at what you need to do to look after your largest investment.

Here are some tips on what you should do both outside and inside the home.

Outside the home

First look for the obvious, like a disconnected down spout.

Simply reconnect it and use two screws to permanently attach it.

In the fall, not all leaves end up on the ground.

Many clog your eaves troughs. So clean them out, Otherwise water can back up, overflowing, behind the stucco, causing leaky condo syndrome in your home

"The kind of long term damage that that can do [includes] mold mildew. [and] rotting of structural materials,'' said Allan Dobie, a consultant with Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp.

If cracks become too large, you can get capillary, where the rain hits, that actually sucks the water right into the stucco.

If cracks become too large, you can get capillary where the rain hits. That in turn will suck the water right into the stucco, said Dobie.

You should visually check your roof from the ground. Look for shingles curling up and other signs of problems

"If there are some obvious defects, then you should have someone have a good look at it and preferably in the Lower Mainland,'' said Dobie. "Of course you want to do that before the rainy season," he said.

If a drain outside the house is plugged, it needs to be cleaned out, otherwise water could back up into the house, particularly after heavy periods of rain.

Moving inside

As you move inside, a little missing weather stripping at a door might no look like much.

But that too can cause problems.

"You start adding up all the cracks in your house and it can add up to a hole that's that big," said Dobie.

It's like leaving your door open in the winter, he said.

Turning to potential hazards, they might include a wood burning fireplace, which needs to be inspected annually and cleaned. Otherwise it could become a fire hazard.

Your furnace needs annual maintenance as well.  That would include:

  • Making sure that fan motors are properly lubricated.
  • Checking that the fan belts -- if there are any -- are in good shape.
  • Checking that the furnace filters and the burners are in good condition.

If you have an old furnace, consider having it replaced. It will pay for itself in energy savings alone in just a few years even if you don't go high efficiency.

Older homes

If your house was built before the mid 1980's, don't open the attic. It may contain asbestos insulation.

"That in turn is going to disturb and bring dust down into your living space and if that dust contains asbestos, well we know there are harmful consequences," said Dobie.

Related links: CMHC.ca.

You can also purchase guides to keep your largest investment in top shape.

With a report by CTV British Columbia's Chris Olsen