12 Helpful Tips to Get Your Home Ready for Fall

It’s almost that time of year again! The leaves start changing, the temperature begins to drop, and homeowners prepare for the months ahead. Whatever your opinion is of the Fall season, now is a great time to start getting your home ready! Below, we will explore some methods of preparation that will have your home in tip top condition for taking on Fall.

• Weather Strip Windows And Doors

The windows and doors in your home can prove to be major sources of heat loss in the colder months. In order to conserve as much heat as possible, use weather stripping on your windows and doors.

• Stockpile Cold Weather Supplies

You should stock a variety of cold weather supplies such as blankets, long sleeve clothing, firewood, and emergency items (in areas where blizzards and heavy snow are common).

• Clean Your Fireplace

Get your fireplace ready to go by inspecting and cleaning out any soot and other debris.

• Inspect Your Homes Air Ventilation

Go around your home and inspect air vents to be sure that heat can efficiently circulate and keep you warm. Sometimes furniture or dust buildup can impair airflow.

• Check Out Nearby Trees

If you live in an area with a risk of freezing rain or heavy snowing, it’s a good idea to inspect the trees around your house in order to identify trees or limbs that could potentially collect ice or snow and fall onto your home.

• Keep Your Outdoor Plumbing Dry

To avoid damage from frozen pipes or other kinds of plumbing, homeowner in areas where freezing is common should be sure to completely drain all outdoor pipes.

• Repair Cracks in Concrete and Asphalt

If left unrepaired, small cracks and other abrasions in concrete and asphalt can fill with water which then freezes and expands. Over time, this can cause major damage to masonry around your home. Use caulk or another treatment to make sure that cracks don’t lead to a bigger problem over the season.

• Clean Your Gutters

This job is unpopular with many homeowners, but it is essential to preventing bigger problems down the road. While you’re up there, inspect the top of your home such as the chimney and shingles to make sure that you can repair anything that needs it.

• Clean Outdoor Furniture and Tools

It’s always good to get a head start on cleaning outdoor furniture and other items that you will be storing over the colder months. Pool chairs, swings, gardening tools, etc. are all items that you’ll want to consider getting ready to store.

• Get Your Furnace Checked

It’s worth it to get your furnace professionally inspected and/or serviced to avoid any chilly nights.

• Winterize Air Conditioning

If you are in an area where you will not need air conditioning through the colder months, you may want to cover your central air conditioning unit. If you have a windows unit, you’ll want to secure it from air leaks.

• Check Water Drainage

Water drainage around your home needs to be free and clear of debris to ensure that you won’t have to deal with flooding and/or freezing later on.

All things considered, there are several things that homeowners can do to prepare for Fall. Follow this guide, and you should be well on your way to getting the most that you can out of the season.

OR

You can just invest in a new home and avoid many of these! New homes built today have much higher standards and we strive for the highest of standards. Unfortunately, we have not invented self-cleaning gutters or chimneys, so you may need to take care of that (we’ll let you know when we do!)

Contact us today to learn more about our neighborhoods and home plans and prepare for your next winter in a new home.