As the seasons change, it can be tempting to focus on making seasonal interior decor updates to make your home feel seasonally appropriate. However, making the not-as-fun exterior updates is equally as essential to keep your house running smoothly and prevent any more significant future issues. So before the temperatures dip in the fall, prepare your home for the chillier weather with system maintenance, grounds preparation, cleaning and more to ensure a smooth transition between the seasons. Read on for tips to prepare your home for fall’s cooler temperatures ahead.
Prepare and Clean the Grounds
Before you know it, the temperatures will be cooler and the bright green tree leaves will change colors and begin to cover the lawn, driveway, walkways and more. Before the leaves fall, clean out the gutters so the falling leaves don’t create a more significant issue. Additionally, schedule a fall clean-up with your landscape company to remove the fallen leaves and dead foliage at the end of the season.
Schedule time to plant your spring bulbs, as well. Planting in the fall means the soil is still soft enough for the roots to grow before the first freeze. This will help your plants grow before the spring planting season. Fertilizing the lawn in the fall will also help prevent winter damage and lessen the number of spring weeds.Â
Inspect Your Home Systems
Schedule a time to have your furnace and duct work inspected and serviced. Then, change the filters and ensure the furnace is properly working before that first day you need to turn on the heat. It’s also an excellent time to have your fireplace cleaned and services before your chimney services’ schedule fills up.
Create a Home Maintenance Checklist
Spend a weekend afternoon tending to the smaller home maintenance tasks. This may include replacing burned-out exterior light bulbs, inspecting the windows for drafts, covering the exterior hose spigots once gardening season is over, inspecting cracked or loose walkway pieces and any other potential issues you want to resolve before the change of season.
Have a Fall Cleaning Day
While spring cleaning is typically top of mind, fall cleaning is equally as important. While it’s still warm enough to keep the window and doors open, thoroughly clean your rugs and upholstery so you enter the fall and winter in a dust and debris-free space.
Check for Leaky Windows and Doors
Before you need to start turning on the heat, ensure your windows and doors are properly sealed. If they aren’t, you could lose lots of heat, which will be reflected in your energy bills.
Organize the Garage
The garage gets a lot of use during the summer, with yard equipment, bikes, children’s toys and more. Clean out the garage floor, reorganize the items that fell out of place, invest in additional shelving and hooks, if needed, and throw out or donate the items that have accumulated and you don’t need. This will give you a fresh start for a new season, and hopefully, you can maintain this level of organization the following spring.
With some planning and prep work, you can ensure your home is ready for the cooler fall weather before the temperatures plummet.
