Home experts advise that most of our major home maintenance tasks can be categorized by seasons and winter is no different with the required home maintenance projects required to keep everything running smoothly during the winter months.
Although when cold Mr. Winter moves in, some maintenance tasks become difficult, if not impossible, for many homeowners others household projects are necessary to help avoid a wintertime disaster. For some parts of the U.S., freezing temps hit as early as September, making it much harder to tackle outdoor maintenance. Or the rainy season arrives (Hello, Seattle?) that makes other maintenance projects a priority.
With our list of winter home maintenance jobs, you'll be ready when winter arrives, and get a little ahead so you can welcome spring when it finally arrives, too!
Read on to discover the ultimate winter home maintenance checklist.
Between running errands, work, home projects and other responsibilities it's easy to forget some of the most important maintenance that should be done each year. That's why we've put together this post to remind you of all of those things that you might have let slip.
With cold temperatures you will be using your heater much more. Everyone should have a yearly HVAC checkup performed on their home's heating and air systems. A professional will examine your unit and check for any faulty parts and determine repairs that may be needed to keep your home cozy and warm in the coming months.
This one is an absolute priority in areas that get lots of rain or snow. Gutters that are full of leaves, dirt, moss or debris will quickly become backed up causing the water to pool on roof tops potentially causing leaks.
In Autumn when all the leaves fall from the trees, they can easily clog up your drains and downspouts around your yard. Be sure to keep the leaves raked up and way from the drains to prevent any potential flooding.
If you have a fireplace, then you will want to have the chimney cleaned and inspected to ensure it's ready for the winter season.
Feeling a draft in your home? Now's the time to take a closer look at all your windows and doors before it causes your heating bill to shoot through the roof. Check the seal of your windows to make sure that the cold air isn't coming in that way. You can also apply weather stripping to the bottom of doors if there space that is leaking air or if the current weather stripping is cracked or damaged.
When winter hits, the days get shorter and many of us leave home before the sun comes up and arrive back to our house after dark. To be sure that your home has plenty of light on those dark days, check your outdoor bulbs and replace any that aren't functioning to full capacity. Programmable smart lights are a great way to ensure your outdoor lights turn on and off automatically so you never come home to a dark walkway.
Checking the above off of your to-do list prior to the arrival of Jack Frost will help keep winter woes to a minimum and make those dark, chilly days a little easier to withstand.
During the winter it's important to remember these additional tips throughout your cold months.
As cold temperatures grow even more bitter, you will want to be sure you can keep the heater running and lights on if the power goes out so perhaps it's time to consider buying a generator. If you already have a generator be sure to test it out before you need it so you know it works without a hitch if the power goes out.
This is a must-do to keep your family cozy when the weather is painfully cold outside.
Buy salt, ice melt or sand before the first freezing temperatures turn your walkways and porch into an ice rink.
Once you are prepared for winter ahead of time, when the digits drop you won't panic. Instead, you can move on to the tasks that will prepare you for the spring ahead.
Now is a good time to work on indoor structural home improvement jobs. Got a counter that needs repairing? An interior door to replace? Now's the time for those indoor weekend projects that you put off the rest of the year.
This is a great time to repaint the living room, bedrooms, or hall. Or, if you want to wallpaper your kitchen, go for it. Maybe you have cool new lights fixtures to install or you want to change out your cabinetry hardware. Now is great time to tackle those projects.
These do-it-yourself home decorating and remodeling jobs can help you stay busy during the weekends when it's too cold to go outside. And, when spring does arrive, you'll feel accomplished and ready to tackle other things, like landscaping and outdoor improvements.
Although spring is notoriously known for the time to perform epic cleaning around the house, there's no need to wait until then. In fact, it makes more sense to get major cleaning tasks out of the way since you're stuck inside for much of the winter. Then, when the weather warms and you're ready to get outside and enjoy the sunshine, your to-do list will be much shorter.
You can clean the oven, wash the baseboards, get curtains cleaned, and more while you wait for the cold to pass.
Need Help Getting Your Home Ready for Winter?
If you've let winter home maintenance creep up on you and you need some help playing catch-up, you're in luck. We can help make sure everything on your checklist gets checked off in time for you to relax by the fire this winter or be prepared for your winter time vacation.
We provide a top-notch Home Manager service to our clients so that they can focus on more pressing obligations. Or, simply have more time to relax with the family.
Need help getting your house ready for winter?
Contact us today to get the help you need and you'll be ready for whatever comes your way!
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