As breathtaking as fall can be, it’s a reminder to homeowners that colder weather is on the way. In just a few short months you’ll be dealing with rain, snow, sleet, hail, heavy winds, and freezing temperatures. If you’re not properly prepared for what’s ahead, you could suffer a great deal physically and financially. Before too much time passes, it’s a good idea to make sure you’ve taken care of these fall home improvement tips listed below:
Prepare Your Home’s Exterior
Your home shelters you from the harshness of the seasons ahead, but it can only continue to do that if it is efficient. The exterior, being the most exposed, takes the most damage. So, it’s a great place to start. Make sure you’ve taken care of the following:
- Inspect the roof – Broken or missing shingles, cracks, and holes in the roof could cause a serious issue. When it rains, sleets, or snows, it could penetrate the roof causing a leak in the home. If it goes undetected, it can cause serious structural damage to the roof and mold problems. While you can inspect the roof on your own, it’s often safer to have a roofer do it for you.
- Clear lawn furniture – You don’t want your lawn chairs or grill getting damaged this season, so it’s a good time to put everything in the shed.
- Seal Your Windows – Take a tour around the front of your house looking at the windows. If you notice any cracks or holes, you want to seal it up so that the cold air can’t enter your home.
- Repair railings and cracked sidewalks – Before fall is over you really want to make sure you have inspected and repaired (if necessary) your railings and sidewalks. The slippery weather can make it easy for someone to really get hurt.
- Tend to Your Lawn – If you want a fresh green lawn in the spring and summer, you have to take care of it during the cooler months. Put lawn furniture away, clean the yard, cut and treat the grass, put down mulch, trim or cut dead trees, branches, and shrubs, and even add some new planters for a pop of color. Of course, you don’t want to forget decor like pumpkins, wreaths, and other items to give your house some curb appeal this fall.
Prepare Your Home’s Interior
Now that the outside of your home has been taken care of, here are a few things to get done inside.
- Service Your HVAC System – You don’t want to come home to a freezing house and a damaged heating system. Hire an HVAC contractor to service your system to make sure everything is in working order.
- Winterize Your Home – As a property age, it loses its efficiency. As cracks and holes, develop and insulation runs thin, all that warm air you have circulating in the home seeps out. This, in turn, causes you to blast the heat to keep warm. Winterizing your home is the most efficient and cost-effective solution. Put weather stripping around doors, use plastic window kits to keep drafts from coming in the windows, and check and install insulation in your attic and basement.
- Safeguard Against Pests – You don’t want mice, roaches, or other pests shacking up with you this winter, so now is a good time to hire a pest control company to take care of the problem before it starts. You can visit sites like MoxieServices.com to determine what types of services you may need this fall.
- Have the Fireplace Cleaned – If you and your family enjoy the warmth of burning wood in the fireplace during the cooler seasons, you don’t want to overlook the importance of having the fireplace and chimney cleaned. All that soot, dust, and debris, and who knows what else (dead birds, branches, leaves, etc), if not removed, can cause a house fire. So, contact a roofer or chimney sweep service provider to get that taken care of.
- Inspect Smoke and Gas Detectors – Every few months, its a good idea to check your smoke and gas detectors to ensure they’re still working properly. If you need new ones, invest in them and place at least one detector on each floor. If, however, your detectors are in good condition, then you should replace the batteries.
As a homeowner, you really don’t want to get caught out there this season without having taken care of these things. Your home is what provides you shelter from the cold weather ahead, but if it isn’t up to par, eventually you’ll be faced with a lot of problems. Do yourself a favor and tackle these fall home improvement steps before it’s too late.
