Q: We just moved into our new home here on Vashon.

We've only lived in apartments in the city before this and don't really know what we need to be doing to get ready for winter. Our neighbor told us that you could give us some ideas. He has been really busy doing all kinds of things to his place, but we don't really know where to start.
A: It's almost Halloween and owning a home can certainly be a "treat", but there are also a few "tricks" to doing it right (sorry, I couldn't resist.) I'm glad you're asking now since the last sunny days of October are a good time to try to get things done in preparation for winter.
Probably the most important job is cleaning your gutters. Not doing that can cause serious problems. It can rot your roof, cause dangerous mold to grown, and cause flooding in basements and crawl spaces. Next would be servicing your furnace. Especially if it's oil, natural gas, or propane, your furnace needs to be cleaned and serviced annually. It's best to do that before the major heating season.
Another obviously good thing to do is to have your chimney cleaned. As you use your fireplace or wood stove be sure you use only really dry wood. Wet wood causes more creosote build up in your chimney and releases more smoke and particulates that are bad for the environment and for you to breathe.
This is the time of the year that many of our rodent population would like to come in and live in your warm house. Go around the outside of the house and be sure even tiny holes into your crawl space are sealed and that there is strong wire mesh secured at the foundation vents.
We're a friendly place, so don't hesitate to ask locals what they do to get ready for winter. Go online to VashonBePrepared.org and you'll find lists of items you'll need to have on hand for emergencies. You should be prepared for power outages, wind storms, and possibly freezing weather.