While ongoing home maintenance is a must, the change of the season provides a good opportunity for some extra special attention to your home. Make a list and pick a weekend to check off all of the items. For a starting point here are some areas to focus on in the spring.
Your Grounds – Spring is the perfect time to spruce up the grounds of your home to start fresh
- Rake up remaining leaves and dead plants.
- Lay down new mulch to keep the weeds at bay and protect plants from drought.
- Make sure your lawn tools are in working order. Does the mower need a tune up?
- Turn on your outside faucets and check for damage.
- Renew the annual contract with your lawn service if you hire one.
- Have an arborist inspect your trees for any needs that exist
- Reseed your lawn
- Plan perennials
- Fertilize lawn a little later in the spring
Exterior of The Home – Winter can be hard on the exterior of a house so make sure to inspect it.
- General inspection – looks for cracks in the concrete, check the roof for cracked or missing singles, check the chimney, and look at the foundation for cracks or sings of pooling water.
- Clean your gutters or hire someone to do so.
- Look for painted areas that need attention.
- Give your house a bath.
- Check your screens for tears and fix
- Check weather striping on doors and windows
- Clean and inspect your deck or patio
Interior of The Home – While not always the focus in the spring, make sure to give the inside of your home some love
- Make an appointment with the HVAC technician to have ductwork cleaned and units serviced.
- If you have a boiler drain and clean our any accumulated sediment.
- Check your sump pump to make sure it is working properly
- Open your windows for some fresh air and clean
- Check your smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors, and fire extinguishers to make sure they work.
- Vacuum the hose line from your clothes dryer
Hiring a Home Inspector
On a side note: It doesn’t hurt to hire a home inspector from time to time to give your home a thorough once over. We tend to think this is something you only do when you buy a home, but that isn’t the only time it can be beneficial.