As we inch closer and closer to the fall season, now’s the time to think about some very important fall home maintenance tips to make sure your home is ready for a change of pace as the leaves start falling and changing colors.
Replace Batteries in Safety Systems
First things first before you begin any other fall prep, make sure you change the batteries in smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors and ensure that your fire extinguishers are still in good standing expiration-wise! This consistent check-in will ensure that your home stays in tip top safety shape.
Trim Those Trees
To avoid any dangerous situations in wind, ice and snow come wintertime, be sure to clip any dead branches (or have a landscaping company come in and do it for you). If you don’t, these may hit your home or your car during the harsh weather.
Move Your Furniture
Your outdoor furniture, that is. Whether you place a waterproof cover on your furniture or you put them in a safe space for the winter, don’t leave your summertime furniture out to wither away. You invested good money in it, after all!
Fill Any Cracks
There’s two areas you should be checking for cracks: your home’s foundation and your driveway. Seal any cracks in the foundation to prevent mice and other un-welcomed animal friends from entering. Then, finish by fixing any cracks in the driveway to prevent further, larger cracks once water enters the initial cracks, freezes and then expands. Bonus Tip: Check doors and windows for any cracks that cause drafts, reducing your heating bill by ensuring they are all closed up!
Prepare the Fireplace
It’s the season of warm and toasty nights! To adequately prepare your fireplace for the multitude of fires you’ll be starting to keep warm (as opposed to your central heater), get rid of any old ashes, check to see if the flue is working properly, and make sure that the damper is open, encouraging air to flow freely through the chimney. If you need a cleaning, hire a professional chimney sweep as needed.
Get Up on the Roof
There’s two purposes of going up on your roof: 1. Check for loose shingles, and 2. Check your gutters. While you’ll inevitably have to clean out leaves and twigs after the fall season, you can get rid of any nests and branches that fell into your gutters during the warmer months.
Did these fall home maintenance tips help you out this season? Comment below if you have any to add to the list!
Real Estate Blog by Guy DuVall 