According to the calendar, autumn doesn’t begin until September 21. Labor Day weekend is coming up and for many of us, the holiday offers us the opportunity to prepare our homes for the coming months.

With a little preparation, planning and 24 extra hours, you can knock out some of these seasonal maintenance projects while you have time and much before it is absolutely necessary, giving you time to save the weekends for fall events, and of course, football!

1. Check your heating system including filters, pilot lights and burners.
2. Clean and vacuum dust from vents, baseboard heaters and cold-air returns.
3. Now is the time to shampoo or replace carpets for the same reason.
4. Caulking around windows and doors will lower your energy consumption during the winter months (and next summer, too).
5. If you have a fireplace, now is the time to call a chimney sweep.
6. Have a roofer come to inspect the roof for any damage.
7. Check your insulation to ensure that there is enough to keep your home warm through the winter. (And cool during the summer, too.)
8. Clean the gutters.
9. If you have a pool, it might be time to winterize.
10. Test the sump pump, if you have one.
11. Pressure wash your deck, patio and/or outdoor recreation area.
12. Change the mower blade to a mulching blade and remove the catcher in order to provide your lawn with nutrients over the winter.

You can save yourself time, headache and money by taking the opportunity to get some of these projects completed over the holiday weekend.