As summer comes to an end and the first chilly winds of autumn blow through, it’s time to plan how you’ll clean, repair, and maintain your home for the coming season. By keeping up with home maintenance, you can ensure a more comfortable winter as well as long-term protection for your investment.

Summer is coming to an end

The first thing you’ll need to do is store any outdoor toys or furniture that remained from this summer. Before putting items in storage, inspect them for items that need to be repaired or discarded, and clean them.

Clean your grill and either cover it or store it in a sheltered location, such as a shed or garage.  If you have a pool, consult with your service provider about winterizing and closing it for the season. Determine whether you need a cover and remove any floats, toys, ladders, or other temporary pool elements.

Check with your pest control company to see if you need to get rid of ant nests or other late-summer creepy crawlies.

Change your mudroom from a place to store flip flops and pool towels to a place to store backpacks and sweaters. Before the first snowfall, lay down weatherproof mats and boot scrapers.

Getting Started with Leaf Raking

You might think of leaf raking as a simple task, but if you put it off for too long, it can become overwhelming. Here are some pointers to make this classic autumn activity a little easier.

Consider raking for an hour or two each weekend to stay on top of the task and prevent it from becoming a major chore.

Investigate leaf raking hacks such as lawn vacuums and sweepers, tarps, and claws to make clearing your lawn easier and more efficient.

Check with your utility provider to learn about the rules for disposing of leaves and other yard waste in your area. Some locations require them to be bagged, while others simply require them to be stacked at the curb.

Find out how much a local lawn service will charge to remove leaves from your yard. Paying for one or two cleanups per season may be worthwhile, especially if you live in a home with a large number of trees.

Maintenance of the Exterior

Aside from leaf raking, there are a few other things to consider when it comes to exterior maintenance.

This is an excellent time to power wash the exterior, windows, and hard surfaces of your home. Furthermore, once the majority of the leaves have fallen, it will be time to clean the gutters and downspouts and remove any wet leaves from the foundation of your home.

Consider covering planting beds with hay or pine straw to provide an extra layer of protection for dormant perennials and bulbs. Alternatively, you could plant cold-weather grass to protect the bed during the winter.

If you have potted plants, consider which ones should be discarded and which can be brought inside for the winter.
If you have an in-ground irrigation system, you must blow out all of the water and turn off the exterior water lines for the season. This will help to keep the outside pipes from freezing.

Cleaning of the Interior

While spring cleaning is frequently mentioned, fall is an excellent time to give your home a thorough cleaning. Because of the mild temperatures, you can open the windows and let in some fresh air.

The coming months may bring holiday guests, meals, and baking, so make sure to thoroughly clean your guest room and kitchen and make any necessary repairs.

As the school year begins, now is a good time to do a thorough cleaning of your children’s rooms and playrooms. Outgrown clothes and toys that they no longer play with should be stored or donated.

Clean out your closets in preparation for the months ahead, and clean out storage areas such as the attic, basement, and garage so you can find all of your holiday decorations more easily.