A home maintenance checklist is essential for every homeowner. Maintaining your home every season ensures no surprises. In the fall, we concentrate on preparing for the cold months ahead in preventing surprises during the coldest months. Additionally, taking measures to maintain your yard will ensure it is in optimal condition for the next summer.
Homeowners that abide by seasonal checklists and maintain their properties over time can expect:
- Improved resale value
- Increased comfort levels within the home
- Fewer repairs over time
- Minimal urgent repairs
With that in mind, here’s our Fall Home Maintenance Checklist of things you should check off before snow flies.
Clear the gutters of leaves and debris
Gutters are the key to preventing water damage to your home. Their main function is to manage water and channel it away from the home.
Clogged gutters may result in:
- water not draining properly
- mold growth
- ice dams
- leaks
- humidity in the home
Drain and store outside water faucets
If you have any outside faucets, make sure to turn off the water supply and store them for the winter. Additionally, be sure to drain out all of the water from inside before storing it away. Also, make sure all connections are tight so that no water can enter your home.
Seal gaps around doors and windows
This is a must for any fall home maintenance checklist! A cold air draft around your windows or doors is an easy and inexpensive fix. Install weather stripping around your exterior doors to block cold air from seeping in. Maintaining the caulk around your windows can save you tons of money in energy bills as well!
Inspect your roof
Fall-time is a great time inspect your roof, as you may not have opportunity once the snow falls. Inspect your roof for any debris or shingle curling and make repairs before they become a problem.
Pro-tip: Take a photo of your roof from different angles, using your zoom function. If you have access to a drone with camera, it. can be used to inspect your roof too!
Rake leaves before the snow falls
Leaves which are trapped under snow, do not allow your grass bed to breathe. This results in yellow patches come spring time and more work on your end to get that luscious green yard.
Service your furnace and heat pump
To ensure your heat system is reliable throughout the winter, have it checked by a reliable HVAC professional. Unmaintained heating systems are more likely to breakdown on the coldest of winter days. Additionally, servicing your furnace and heat pump increase energy efficiency (i.e. lower heating costs) and will also increase their life.
Changing your filter every three months is a good rule of thumb. Depending on the type of furnace you have, it may need to be changed more often. Additionally, if you have a high efficiency furnace, you may need to change your filter more frequently as well.
Check for dirty or clogged filters. If there is a lot of dust in the air when changing your filter, this signals a faulty filtration system.
Conclusion
While staying on track with your home maintenance can be a challenge, it will ensure that you do not have any unwanted surprises. Concentrate on one or two items at a time to ensure you do not get overwhelmed!
If you are looking for some more information about these topics or would like us to cover one in particular, please let us know in the comments below!