Get Ready for Fall
Cooler temperatures means fall weather is on the way! Make sure that your house is prepared by following this simple checklist:
1. Roof Check your home from top to bottom to make sure there are no leaks. Start with the roof and work your way down to the crawl space underneath your home. This is the perfect time to patch leaks before the onset of wet winter weather.
2. Gutters After most of the leaves have fallen, make sure to clean out your gutters thoroughly.
3. Yard Make sure to rake up as many leaves as possible for a healthy yard. There are also lots of things you can do during the winter months to get your yard ready for spring. Trim dead branches, prune shrubbery, and apply lawn fertilizer to prevent weeds.
4. Windows & Doors One of the best things about fall is having the windows open (with no pollen!), so check your windows and screens to make sure they’re sturdy and secure. Also inspect and add more caulk if needed to your windows and doors to keep them airtight in preparation for colder temperatures.
5. Heating System It’s much better to have your heating system checked now and fix any problems than to wake up on a cold morning with a faulty heater.
6. Fireplace Clean the base and check the flue for any defects. If you haven’t done so in a while, you also might want to have your chimney inspected by a professional. You can also take this time to stock up on firewood while demand is low.
7. Filters Make sure you are checking and changing your AC filters regularly. Now is a great time to start the habit and keep your house allergen free during the colder months.
8. Smoke Detectors Give your smoke detectors a good checkup and go ahead and change the batteries if they’re getting low. Much better to do it now than to be reminded by that horrible chirping!
9. Programmable Thermostat Digital, programmable thermostats are becoming much more common and inexpensive as technology improves. Invest in one and keep your heating costs down this winter.
10. Fall Cleaning Although it may feel like spring cleaning was just yesterday, fall is a great time to give your house that second deep clean that it needs to stay in tip-top shape. We found a great article from Household Management 101 that will help here.
