Routine home maintenance is one of the best things you can do to preserve your property value, avoid any surprise repairs or replacements, and enjoy your home to its fullest potential. With the days lengthening and weather warming, spring is a good time to get outdoors and tackle some larger home projects while also making sure your home’s interior is in good shape. Work your way through this checklist to make sure your home is ready for the change in seasons.
Quick and Easy Routine Tasks to Tackle First
Tackling the easy things first will jumpstart your to-do list and accomplish a lot in a little time. Consider elements like your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Now is the time to check for battery life and replace as needed. Another easy replacement is your home’s HVAC filter and if necessary, call for an air conditioning tune up. And, finally, get your fan blades moving in the right direction by switching from winter’s counterclockwise setting to spring’s clockwise which will push cool air down.
Get Your Yard Ready for Its Busiest Season
Now that we’ve officially retired our winter coats for the year, it’s time to get your outdoor space ready for its most popular season. This means taking time to look around your home’s exterior, clean your gutters and downspouts and to make sure that water is draining properly, examine your roof shingles for any loss or damage, and touch up cracked or peeling paint. It’s also time to focus on the yard and make sure that things are blooming just right for the height of spring. Fill any low spots in your yard with compacted soil, repot or transplant any greenery that needs some extra TLC, and make sure your yard’s water and irrigation system is working.
While we all start to enjoy the outdoors when spring arrives, so do bugs and rodents. The best way to prevent excess pests from hanging around outside your home is to get rid of standing water. If you see an area outside of your home where water stands, spend some time draining and fixing that spot so you don’t see a future infestation.
Check your screen doors and windows for cracks, holes, or air leakage. Screens are designed to let the breeze flow in and keep bugs out so make sure that holes or tears aren’t preventing them from doing their job. Spring clean your windows, inside and out, and make sure that unwanted hot air or insects aren’t making their way inside your home.
Interior Maintenance to Focus On
Last but not least are those areas of the house that often go neglected throughout the rest of the year. Dust or vacuum chairs, stair railings, shelves, cabinets and ceiling fans so that when the fresh new sunlight shines through your windows, things will sparkle. Launder or dry-clean fabric draperies and use a damp cloth to clean wood and vinyl blinds. It may not be the prettiest work, but by removing settled dust, mites, and allergens you’ll be left with a cleaner and healthier home.
Other chores inside the house include cleaning the dryer and lint trap and checking on your dryer hose. Use this time to store away your winter coats and boots that have been taking up room in your closets and exchange them for spring or summer wear. Clearing your space and refreshing these items will help you feel ready to tackle this warm weather!
Come springtime, most of us look forward to opening our windows, cleaning out our closets, and enjoying some long awaited warm weather. It’s also a chance to give your house, inside and out, a routine update. Follow this checklist to focus on the areas that need some maintenance so you can get your chores done quickly, leaving you plenty of time to go outside and enjoy the Carolina sunshine