Hire a Hubby handyman Steven Long shared some valuable tips on getting your house winter-ready with The Young Witness when we talked with him last week.

"One of the first things Young residents should do is to make sure their chimneys are clean," he said.

"With fireplaces being used by a number of households in Young and surrounding areas, it is important to keep chimneys clean, without yearly cleans, soot quickly builds up in these spaces, which prevents smoke from escaping. 

"Regular chimney cleans ensure smoke is vented properly and removes potential fire risks that can be created from excess soot build-up.”

Mr Long said indoor spaces are used more during the winter months, so autumn is an important time to ensure these areas are also safety proofed.

“Indoor fire places may go unused during summer; home owners must ensure the barriers around these fixtures are secure to prevent accidents,” he said.

Mr Long said making sure door and window seals are in good order is another good tip.

"Wooden frames around doors and windows are important areas that seal in heat," he said.

"Adding a new layer of window sealant only takes five or ten minutes, but the benefits last every day of winter and beyond. 

"Properly-sealed windows lock in heat and reduce the constant need for heaters to be switched on, lowering electricity bills."

Mr Long said it pays to be pre-emptive with repairs and doing them in Autumn makes sense.

"Regular maintenance can help avoid costly repairs down the track," he said.

"When residents keep a checklist of all areas in need of winter-proofing and carry out regular checks on these spaces the costs for the odd repair job will be much lower.

“Regular checks will also reduce the need for larger renovation jobs in emergency situations."