Wear and tear on a home can really add up over time. Between winter snowfall and summer humidity, your home will deteriorate if it is not properly maintained. Every season there are various tasks you should do to your home to fix what the last season did and prepare for the next one.
Fall brings with it an annual home maintenance task list that can be fairly long. The number of tasks you will need to undertake depends on where you live and the kind of house and appliances you have. In the Greater Boston area, this means that you need to add preparing for the winter snowfall early as well as the usual house care tasks universal to all climates. Below is a list of things you should do this Fall to keep your home in pristine condition and protect its resale value.
Deep Clean and Organize
First up, let’s fix the inside. You will spend months mostly indoors once winter comes. The cleaner it is in your home, the less dirt you will have to spend time around. You will also have less work at the end of winter when it is time for spring cleaning. So this fall, take the time to deep clean your house including scrubbing grout, dusting the fans and hard to reach spaces, cleaning the oven and refrigerator, etc. Basically, put some elbow grease into it.
You should also organize or reorganize. Usually, you will not need the same holiday decor or tools in the winter as you did in the summer. You might even change out the wardrobe in your closet based on the season. Whatever the case may be, organize your items for winter now before it gets too cold to put things outside while you work. Now is also a good time to donate things you do not need or want to get rid of since it is almost the holidays, and also almost tax season. By organizing and donating things you don't want anymore, you can declutter, do some good for someone else and get yourself a possible tax write-off.
Fix the Outside and Seal it Up
It's no secret that snow can severely damage a house. When this happens, it can be very difficult to repair in the middle of winter. So prepare the exterior of your home now. Check the roof to make sure that when snow sits on it, there will be no leaks or structural issues. You don't want to wake up to your roof caving in or water leaking down on your forehead. You should also seal all the gaps on the outside so no animals can make their winter homes there and cause more damage than the weather inevitably will cause.
Another item to consider repairing or replacing is the weather stripping on exterior doors and windows. This will help you save money on your heating costs throughout the winter and prevent drafty nights.
If necessary, hire a contractor to complete the repairs. There are many tasks you will likely be able to do on your own, but it is recommended that you hire a contractor for roof work or other essential pieces of your home.
Step Up Your Yard Work
Fall also comes with a significant change in yard maintenance. When leaves start falling and the grass stops growing as quickly, you will need to mow less, rake leaves more often and prepare your yard for winter. During fall you should regularly clear fallen leaves from gutters and downspouts to prevent them from breaking or flooding during rainy days. You can leave the leaves in the yard for a while for the full effect of a picturesque fall, but by the time they have all fallen you should rake up as many up as you can to help promote fresh growth in the spring.
Your trees and plants also need special care in the fall to prepare them for winter. You can do this yourself if you are experienced, but it is best to hire a professional in order to ensure you do not damage your plants. The basic premise is to get rid of any dead limbs so that the rest of the plant will come back healthy after it has been dormant for the winter.
Winterize
Last, but not least, prepare for the winter. Start with winter safety. This is the most important part of winter preparation. The first task is to check your indoor safety devices and change their batteries. If you have railings, make sure they are secure. Clear steps of any debris or plant overgrowth to prevent tripping. Make sure that your driveway is ready to be shoveled. That could mean adding gravel, cement or asphalt patches to flatten it so that when you drag your shovel across, nothing gets in your way. Consider anything else your home might have that may be a safety hazard in winter.
Next, gather your winter supplies. Make sure you have wood, snow shovels, ice scrapers, ice melt, and restock your emergency supplies. Whatever else you may want for winter, you should probably also stock up on now.
Also, don’t forget to take out any window AC units you might have in your windows still and put away summer supplies. Your hoses and other summer tools or furniture can get ruined if they are left out in the harsh winter elements. Put them away before the end of fall.
Fall is one of the busiest times of the year when it comes to home maintenance, but making a list and steadily working your way through it throughout the season makes it easy. Take one task at a time and prepare your home for this winter. Then in the spring, you will have a whole new list of tasks to accomplish to de-winterize and prepare your house for the summer months. It’s hard work, but rewarding in the end.
