Last Updated on October 10, 2024
Owning a home comes with a lot of responsibility, especially when the cooler weather strikes.
To keep your home in tip top shape during the fall and winter seasons, complete some home maintenance tasks to help prepare for anything the cold weather brings. Here are 13 items to tackle this fall to prepare you home for the cooler weather ahead.
Invest in fall landscaping
Spring might be long gone, but that is not an excuse to slack on landscaping. If you’re thinking about adding an evergreen privacy fence or a few shrubs in your garden, the fall is the best time to do so. In the Carolinas, you can even plant evergreens in the early winter, but fall is ideal. Beyond evergreens, add some color to your garden now and enjoy until the first frost. Flowers like Calibrachoa, Sunflowers, Petunias, and Lantanas are perfect for adding fall color to your flowering beds.
It’s also a good idea to aerate your lawn and plant grass seed to help your lawn look lush and vibrant green come spring.
Related: Tips to get your garden and lawn fall ready
Tackle the fall leaves
Don’t wait until the last of the leaves have fallen off your trees to make a plan. The easiest and smartest solution is to simply mow your leaves. You’ll need a mulching lawnmower to really grind up the leaves finely enough, but getting rid of leaves this way not only saves your back but it also adds nutrients back into the soil.
Clean out the gutters
One of the most important home maintenance tasks to complete this fall is to clean out the gutters. Removing the leaves and other debris will help the water flow through 10 times better.
Plus, leaving this task untreated can cause a leaky roof and foundation issues, damage your landscape, and create a nesting place for pests. If you live in a heavily wooded area, consider adding mesh gutter guards to prevent leaves from building up in the future.
Inspect your furnace
Don’t wait until the cold weather strikes to check on your furnace. It’s recommended that a professional service your furnace once a year. Get ahead by calling a heating and air company now to schedule a tune up.
Make sure your appliances are working well and up-to-date
From heating and air units to water heaters to smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, it is crucial to have all of these appliances working before winter comes.
No one wants to have a broken heating unit during the middle of a snow storm. This fall, schedule an appointment with your heating and air company to have them checked out to make sure they will withstand the cold weather.
Prepare for pests
As the temperature drops outside, bugs will start to look for a warmer place to stay and that often means inside your home.
To avoid these pesky guests, seal up cracks and other entry points that these critters might use to come inside.
Consider putting out traps or spraying bug killer inside and outside your home to deter them. Lastly, take out the trash. Keeping your spaces clean will leave less room for bugs to burrow.
Organize your yard tools
Fall is commonly the time when yard work winds down and we put the rakes, wheelbarrows, and shovels away for the colder months.
Instead of throwing all your tools into a shed and calling it a day, put effort into organizing your tools so come the warmer weather you are more eager to start up the yard work again.
Hang up hooks to hold larger tools or invest in a set of bins to organize smaller items like gloves.
Related: Garage storage tips you need
Replace your air filters
Often an overlooked and long-overdue maintenance task is replacing your home’s air filters.
Depending upon the quality and brand of your air filters, the life span of them can last anywhere from three to six months.
This fall, make sure to replace your air filters to remove the collected dirt, dust, and allergens from the air.
Deep clean your kitchen
It’s been many months since spring cleaning was here, and since then, life has happened. Take some time this fall to deep clean commonly used spaces like the kitchen to help get your house in order.
Clean out your fridge and deep clean your tiles, grout, trash and recycling bins, and oven and stove.
This not only helps you prepare for any guests you may have coming over, but it will help prevent pests and keep your space fresh.
Related: Kitchen cleaning hacks that are actually genius
Inspect your chimney and fireplace
Home heating is one of the most common causes of a house fire, so this fall it is important to have both gas and wood fireplaces inspected.
Doing this will help prevent things like smoke, water vapor, and firewood particles from entering your home.
Maintaining your chimney will also help with proper air flow and prevent build up of tar-like substances on the interior walls.
Don’t overlook your roof
One of the most important home maintenance tasks to complete this fall is to check the status of your roof.
Fall and winter are the worst times of the year to have roof problems. Inspect your roof for leaks and holes and get them repaired asap to prevent further damage.
Check for air leaks
Don’t wait until the cold weather comes in through the nooks and crannies of your house. Take the time now to inspect your weatherstripping, taking care to check for any gaps. Sealing up a drafty house can save you upwards of 20% on your energy bill this winter, so now’s the time to make this a priority.
Double check your insulation
If your heating and air bill is costing you more and more each month, it might be time to check your home’s insulation.
While insulation should last homeowners many, many years, if your insulation is old or not properly placed, it might not be doing its job to the fullest.
Insulation should be energy efficient and not causing you to break the bank with your heating and air unit. If you’re concerned about the insulation in your home, call an insulation expert or contractor today to get this task fixed quickly.
