How to Prepare Your Home for Fall
My most favorite season of the year, fall, is approaching quickly. Who doesn’t love cozy blankets, cooler weather, color changing leaves, kids going back to school and most importantly HALLOWEEN. While fall can be a fun and enjoyable time of the year, it is important to ensure you are prepared. This includes ensuring your home is prepared for the fall months ahead. I have several tips you should follow to ensure you and your home are ready for the fall and the change in weather.
Check Gutters and Roof
First let’s talk about cleaning out your gutters and checking your roof. Take a look at your roof- even from the ground- and see if there are any missing shingles or holes in the roof. The gutters on your home are very important as they help to ensure that rainwater is able to clear off your roof in a controlled manner. If your gutters are not clear and clean, rainwater can accumulate in them which can create a ponding effect that can cause roof damage. If this occurs in the winter, it can also cause your gutters to freeze and crack. You should be cleaning out your gutters thoroughly and removing any leaves, branches, or other debris which could have accumulated.
Check Outside Water Source
Next on our list for outside your home is turning off your outside water. While you may still need to garden or use water for recreational purposes, eventually you will go months without having to use any of your exterior faucets. Unfortunately, an unused faucet that has water within it can cause serious damage and cracked pipes during the winter. To prevent this from happening, you should turn off all of your exterior water sources. If this is not possible in your home, you should at least disconnect all hoses and drain the faucets to get any water out.
Prepare Landscaping
Lastly for outside home care is landscaping. Although most people consider the spring and summer months to be the time of the year when you will spend time with your landscaping, there is still work that should be done in the fall. In the fall months it is very important for the health of your lawn to have it properly fertilized before the ground freezes. Further, this is a good time to trim perennial plants and remove annuals from your garden. This can help you save a lot of time and headaches in the spring when you are trying to prepare your yard for the warm months of the year.
Check Appliances/Filters
As we head inside, next we have appliances. Your major appliances in your home, including your heating and cooling systems, can help ensure your home is comfortable all year and that you have good air quality. To ensure they are able to work to their fullest, you should be replacing all of the filters from time to time. Ideally, you should remove the furnace and air conditioner filters at least once per quarter. Doing this at the beginning of fall is a good idea as it will ensure your furnace has a clean filter to use prior to the start of winter and that your air conditioner will be ready and prepared for the last warm days of the year.
Check Windows
I would say lastly check your windows and seals. Making sure your windows are not cracked and are correctly sealed is one of the easiest ways to save on winter energy bills and keep your house from getting cold.
Download a Handy Checklist!
To help you prepare your home for fall, we’ve created a handy checklist you can print and use as a guide. Have we missed anything? Please add your tips in the comments!
