Springtime House Maintenance
If you have been feeling cooped up indoors as I have these past few months, you are not alone. Given the crisis of recent times urging us to stay home and create social distancing, along with the winter conditions that can keep us inside, it is prudent to continue to implement all health and safety precautions even when starting to get outdoors!
After all, it’s Springtime!
Spring is such a beautiful season! Or is it?!
At the beginning of the season, your yard and home have endured the long winter and the season of maintenance is here and it can be overwhelming as to where to start!
Maintenance of your home, like a car, is simply said, just a necessary part of homeownership. And let's face it, this is likely your largest investment so protecting it so it continues to grow is essential. If you are looking at your house and yard and wondering where to spend your time and money, these are my best ten tips for keeping your house efficient and properly maintained.
Given we are spending more time at home this spring, maybe this is the year you can catch up on some of those maintenance jobs that have been difficult to find time for in the past.
Clean out those gutters and downspouts! This can help the rain from falling away from your house and avoid leaking and mildew near your foundation.
Wash windows inside and out! This is just a feel-good, instant boost to your home appearance. It’s like giving yourself a beautiful floral arrangement that offers you a clean, sparkly view.
Seal or reseal your exterior woodwork! Rotting wood is expensive to replace so a sealant can protect your wood and give it a refreshed look.
Check your roof carefully! Winter storms love to lift shingles and addressing those tampered shingles can save you a lot of expensive fixes later on!
Paint, paint, paint! Paint freshens up everything! Whether it be your house exterior, a rusted table or railings, paint is not that expensive but has a huge impact on the appearance around your house.
Inspect your Retaining walls, driveways and hardscaping materials! Freezing and thawing can really damage and be rough on your pathways, driveways and retaining walls. Sometimes you can just patch damaged areas. Ignoring these problems can cause safety concerns and more expensive replacement costs later on.
Prevent rodents and mosquitoes! You want to enjoy your upcoming summer so what you do now can impact the nuisance and annoyance of rodents and bugs. Mosquitos thrive on standing water so remove all of that in your spring landscaping plan. Also, check screens for holes or tears. No one wants rodents in your roof, walls or under decks so plug up those possible inviting holes to minimize that possibility.
Address your Equipment Effectiveness! Doing those yearly basics such as changing air conditioning and furnace filters or maintenance, changing smoke detector batteries will help your home function far more efficiently. And trust me, you don’t want to have your air conditioner breaking down in the heat of the summer so check on it now before it gets too hot.
Organize your garage or shed! Make it work for you as you begin to use this pertinent space for the next few months. Know where your tools and equipment are, and it's a good time to purge old products, chemicals and gasoline. This will help you know exactly what your spring maintenance costs will be and save you money.
Glorify your Gardens! You don’t have to be a gardener to boost your curb appeal with fresh annuals, some new perennials, a sleek coat of mulch or topsoil, or pots for your porch or deck. Treating yourself to something new in your garden plan will be a great pick-me-up after all your spring maintenance efforts.
If you have more questions about spring home maintenance and get a personalized opinion about what your priorities should be, let's chat.
