The harbingers of Spring often spark the age-old desire to give your home a deep, thorough cleaning. But getting your home in tip-top shape for warmer weather should go well beyond cleaning the carpets and changing out the curtains. Now is prime time to focus on important maintenance tasks as well.
According to the community of home-service experts at Neighborly®, various forms of harsh winter weather across the U.S. will be followed up by severe spring and summer weather, such as tornadoes and hurricanes. That’s why it’s critical to resolve any issues that may still be lingering from fall and winter.
Here is Neighborly’s checklist of maintenance tasks to take care of now:
- Inspect your home’s exterior for rot, peeling paint or insect damage.
- Replace or repair any damaged windows or door screens.
- Start your pest control service, such as those that prevent mosquitoes and ticks.
- Inspect your grill and any other outdoor kitchen appliances to make sure they’re in good shape and safe working order.
- Inspect your BBQ grill and other outdoor kitchen appliances.
- Trim or prune overgrown or dying trees and shrubs. Pay special attention to any precarious tree limbs near your roof or power lines.
- Clean your gutters, removing any old leaves, twigs and other debris.
- Clean up your yard and garden beds, removing lingering piles of leaves, branches and random detritus.
- Cut back dead plants you weren’t able to get to in the fall.
- Have your HVAC system or window air conditioning units serviced, changing filters to ensure air flows freely and safely.
- Check your garage door to make sure it’s functioning properly and have any necessary repairs taken care of.
- Check your smoke alarms and change the batteries if you missed doing so during daylight saving time.
Be sure to hire a professional if you’re not skilled in taking care of these tasks on your own. If you’re not properly equipped or physically able to perform your own spring home-maintenance tasks, you could incur greater expense and put your own safety at risk.
