How to Prepare Your Home No Matter the Season
Owning a home comes with responsibilities for maintaining the big investment. Do you know how to prepare your home, no matter the season? Dream Finders Homes has a checklist to follow each season to make sure you’ve got everything managed.
Monthly Home Maintenance Tips
Let’s start with household tasks that you should complete every month:
- Check your HVAC filters and clean or replace them as needed. Dirty filters reduce the air flow and cause your air conditioning and heating system to work harder, which means higher energy bills.
- Inspect and clean air vents and heat registers to remove allergens, like pet dander, dust mites, and debris.
- Check your home’s water softener and add salt when necessary to keep it operating properly.
- Clean out your refrigerator and freezer.
- Clean the garbage disposal by grinding ice cubes in it; then, run hot water and baking soda to rinse the debris.
- Inspect your tub and sinks for clogs and unclog any that are draining slowly.
- Repair leaks around your tubs, sinks, and toilets.
- Inspect and replace any damaged electrical cords.
- Test your GFCI outlets: Plug in a light and click the “Test” button on the outlet. The light should go out. Press the “Reset” button to make sure the light goes back on. If your GFCI outlet isn’t working properly, replace it.
Spring Home Maintenance Tips
The season of new growth also means spring cleaning. Follow these spring home maintenance tips and prevent unnecessary repairs.
- Walk around and inspect the exterior of your home, looking for damage, like water stains, or areas where termites or other pests might infiltrate your home.
- Fertilize your lawn.
- Clean the gutters of debris that has collected over the winter, getting rid of possible blockage that could cause water to flow into your home.
- Recaulk damaged areas around your exterior windows and doors.
- Inspect the foundation for cracks.
- Remove yard debris near your home.
- Inspect the roof and repair or replace any damaged shingles.
- Power-wash the exterior, driveway, walkway, patio, and other outside surfaces.
- Clean and reseal the deck and porch floors and railings.
- Test the sprinkler system; adjust or replace damaged sprinkler heads.
- Have your air conditioning system serviced.
- Replace the batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
- Wash curtains, drapes, and blinds.
- Steam-clean carpets and upholstered furniture.
- Flip all bed mattresses.
- Clean all outdoor furniture, including the cushions.
- Test the connections and burner jets on your outdoor grill and give the grill a good cleaning.
- Rake the lawn and garden beds.
Summer Home Maintenance Tips
You don’t have to spend your valuable summer fun time on chores. Just stick to this summer home maintenance checklist. Follow these tips to prepare your home for summer so you can relax and enjoy it.
- Have your dryer vent cleaned to remove lint that blocks the air flow and reduces the appliance’s effectiveness, runs up your utility bill, and gathers high flammable lint.
- Reverse the direction of your ceiling fans to move counterclockwise, which circulates the air like a breeze, rather than pushing the warm air downward.
- Clean your refrigerator’s coils and clean the drip trays.
- Pull out and clean around your range.
- Flush out your water heater to remove the sediment.
- Repair cracks in the driveway.
Fall Home Maintenance Tips
The temperature begins to drop. Fall is the time to prepare for cold weather by following this fall home maintenance checklist.
- Rake the yard and garden beds; add a layer of compost, mulch, or straw before the first frost to protect the soil and plants.
- Fertilize your lawn approximately 3 weeks after the last mowing to feed essential nutrients for the roots before they go dormant.
- Test the smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to ensure the batteries still work.
- Call a professional to inspect your furnace.
- Check and clean or replace the filters (water and air) in the furnace, refrigerator water filter, dishwasher, air purifier and humidifiers, clothes dryer, range hood, and over-the-range microwave.
- Have your chimney inspected and cleaned, even if you have a gas fireplace.
- Flip all bed mattresses.
- Drain and turn off all exterior faucets and disconnect hoses to prevent frozen or burst pipes.
- Clean the gutters of debris that has collected over the spring and summer.
- Clean and store lawn equipment, including draining the fuel from gas-powered items.
- Inspect the roof and repair or replace any damaged shingles.
- Clean and store your outdoor furniture.
- Winterize your outdoor grill by cleaning it, shutting off the gas valves, disconnecting the gas tubes, and spraying cooking oil on the metal parts to prevent corrosion.
- Service your snowblower and make sure you remove any obstacles (e.g., string lights, rocks, edging, extension cords) that could catch in its blades.
Winter Home Maintenance Tips
When the conditions turn cold outside, you’ll spend more of your time indoors. So, there are fewer items on your winter home maintenance checklist. Here are tips to prepare your home for winter weather.
- Check for drafts around doors, windows, and electrical outlets.
- Test your sump pump.
Reverse the direction of your ceiling fans to move clockwise, which pushes the warm air downward.
- Add insulation to pipes to prevent heat loss.
- Clean the drains in sinks, tubs, showers, and the dishwasher, which helps prevent cold weather from creating clogs and ice.
- Regularly check your roof and gutter for icicles and ice dams and use an ice rake to remove it.