by Zoe Bishop

Created on: November 01, 2009   Last Updated: November 04, 2009

Winter is just around the corner and with the dramatic climate change it is vital that you and your home are prepared for any emergencies that may come your way. The last thing you want over the Christmas period is to be snowed in with no food, warmth, or light, that is sure to put a dampener on any seasonal celebrations! So, here are some handy hints and tips to help you and your family stay safe and well this winter by preparing your home for anything mother nature may throw your way.

One thing that should be at the top of everyone's list is food. It is all well and good to have all the festive treats stashed away in the freezer, but, how are you going to cook these foods if there is no electricity due to a power cut? This is something that many people don't consider when it comes to food shopping for the winter. One of the best things that you can do is to buy canned goods. You can buy a huge variety of different foods that come canned, these are perfect if you are in a situation where the electricity has gone and you are hungry. It is important to stock up, it's better to be safe than sorry. Or hungry for that matter!

Depending on where in the world you live, it could be a good idea to install storm windows and doors. This not only protects you, but it also protects your house and avoids any unwanted breakages such as glass from the windows or old wood around door frames. These can be relatively inexpensive and can be a very worthwhile addition to your home when preparing for those winter storms. Brian from handyguyspodcast.com said in their episode about preparing your home for winter, that for older houses in particular that only have single pane windows, it is definitely a very good idea to install storm windows and doors for protection.

The next idea to prepare the outside of your home for that harsh winter weather is to clear the guttering around the house. You should be sure to clear all of the leaves, muck and any other debris so that they are completely clear. Doing this will ensure that you have no problems with any ice damming, which is something that you definitely want to avoid wherever possible. This is a relatively simple job to complete but so many people forget to do it and and up with lots of problems with the gutter drainage. According to The Handy Guys at handyguyspodcast.com, it is important to do this because the cycle of freezing and thawing can push the water and ice under the roof shingles causing leakage which you really want to

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