Now that we’re a few weeks into autumn, it’s time to start thinking about all the fall home maintenance tasks that should be done before winter begins – and with the way time zips along, the cold and darkness will be here soon enough! My husband and I like to get an early start on our fall chores, since there’s so much to do.
So here’s a checklist from forbes.com that you might find helpful:
(Note: I know many readers may live in warm climates or may not live in a house, but hopefully there are useful things mentioned here that you can do to maintain your living space.)
- Care for trees and shrubs.
- Rake leaves, so the leaves on a lawn over winter don’t inhibit spring growth.
- Clean gutters and downspouts.
- Make exterior repairs. Look for any signs of damage on the roof, siding, and foundation.
- Seal gaps so cold and critters don’t enter.
- Check walkways, railings, stairs and the driveway for winter safety.
- Stock up on winter supplies.
- Check the condition of snow shovels and ice scrapers; replace as needed.
- Pick up a bag of pet- and plant-safe ice melt, if needed.
- Restock emergency kits for car and home.
- If you use a snow blower, have it serviced and purchase fuel.
- Shut off exterior faucets and store hoses so the freezing temperatures don’t damage anything.
- Add weatherstripping around the frames of windows and doors to keep the house warmer and to cut energy costs.
- Check safety devices.
- Test smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors; replace batteries as needed.
- Check the expiration date on your fire extinguisher and replace if needed.
And a few others – which my husband is big on doing! – from houselogic.com:
- Clean and stow your lawn mower.
- Remove garden hoses from faucets so the hoses don’t freeze.
- Drain your sprinkler system.
Along with doing those fall chores, one other thing is very, very important: Don’t forget to record your fall-related purchases! So if you buy a rake, record it! If you buy gas stabilizer to winterize your lawn mower, scan it! You get the picture …
Have a great weekend! Let me know if you have any fall maintenance tips and tricks. I’d love to hear all about them.
Great list! Honestly, most of them are things that can be taken care of in one day. You can go down the list and crank them out quickly. Thanks for sharing, i was thinking of stowing away the lawn mower but you mentioned it right at the end.
HI, CB, Can you please respond back to [email protected] with your NCP ID. We’d like to address your concerns. Thank you.
Hi Lorraine,
I live in a Apt so I don’t have to do any thing for the weather but I’m glad you
keep us up to date to do these things for the weather. Have a Wonderful Day
Some of your fall cleanup destroy the environment for needed critters, I e. Moths, frogs, butterflies, dragonflies, spiders, bees, etc
Hi, Lorraine. Please let me know which cleanup activities destroy the environment for those critters, as you call them. I’m really curious. Thanks!
One other thing I do in the fall and in the spring, change the filter in my air handler. Some may call it a furnace filter. I always change them just before switching over from air conditioning to heat and vice-versa.