FALL HOME MAINTENANCE CHECKLIST
With cold weather on the horizon, fall is the time to knock out your home maintenance checklist. Start by tackling the outdoor chores on a sunny weekend afternoon. Rake the leaves, clean the gutters, and store your (cleaned) outdoor furniture in a garage, shed, or basement. If you have time, plant tulip and daffodil bulbs so that you have spring flowers in the garden to look forward to.
Head into the garage to check that you are stocked up for winter. Is your snow shovel still in good condition? Does your snowblower need more fuel? Do you have a supply of ice melt to treat slippery driveways and sidewalks? Then turn off the water to your exterior faucets and store your garden hoses.
Windows are next on the checklist. Remove and clean your screens and carefully store them. Install your storm windows, if you have them. Then add weatherstripping around any drafty windows or doors. If you still have an a/c unit in the window, now is the time to remove it.
Replace your furnace filter and have your HVAC system serviced. If you have a fireplace, schedule a time for the annual chimney cleaning before you start using it. Clean out your dryer vents and replace the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Lastly, reverse the direction of your ceiling fans so that the heated air is circulated more efficiently.
Once all that is done, grab a mug of hot apple cider and relax!
