The birds are starting to sing early in the morning and the soft sounds of crickets and owls are alive and well at night. Spring is officially here and we’re ready to welcome the warmer weather and sunshine! With the winter blues behind us, it’s time to start thinking about spring maintenance for your home. Using spring cleaning is an easy way to remember to do some of these annual tasks that are important for keeping your house and property in tip top shape. These tips are especially helpful if you’re preparing to sell your home this spring as well. If that’s the case, check out one of our past blogs on Preparing Your House for Sale in Time for Spring. Let’s get right to it!

Spring Maintenance for Your Home

Some of us are lucky enough to have elders to look up to and bounce questions off of when it comes to home maintenance tips. Others might not have that rock to lean on. They end up doing their own research and sometimes learning the hard way what should be done to your home every year. It’s much easier to stay on top of spring home maintenance when you have a checklist of sorts to work off of. We’ve included our maintenance tips below to get you started:

• Focus on the areas with the highest repair bill potential first: This will be checking and maintaining your roof, water heater, HVAC, and plumbing system first and foremost. Make sure you’re aware of the type of systems you have so there aren’t any surprises on unexpected bills. For example, HomeServe’s Don’t Go Broke for Repairs: Get Ahead on Home Maintenance article states “Total system replacements are common today (for HVAC systems) because the EPA requires a new type of refrigerant that doesn’t work with older systems. Expect to pay $10,000 or more for a new system, depending on the size and the square footage of your house.”

• Visually inspect everything first: This is an easy place to start to get an idea of any repairs you know need to happen right away. Pull out the ladder and inspect your roof for signs of wear. Any missing shingles? Areas that need to be cleaned? Walk around your home and inspect all concrete, water sources, AC units, etc. and make a list of anything you find that might need some extra attention.

• Windows and doors: This deserves its own section, particularly for those of us that live in areas where bugs and pests are a concern! Visually inspect your screens and actual doors for weatherstripping, drafts, etc. first. Then you can focus on prevention for the creepy crawlies. Look for any ripped screens, broken seals, stagnant water, and anywhere that our little friends will flock to. Arm yourself with your favorite spray/repellant and start treating the areas surrounding your house before the warm weather is officially here to stay.

• Whip out your green thumb: The quintessential spring cleaning task: gardening and landscaping. This part can also be the most fun too. It’s time to give your lawn a little tender love and care. Whip out the mower, fertilizer, and flowers. Tend to the areas that might need to be raked and re-seeded first and then move on to the mulch and flower beds for the perfect final touches. Planting flowers in the springtime can be so therapeutic!

• Don’t forget indoors: We can get a little excited and carried away with enjoying the sunshine and yard work, but don’t forget about the traditional spring cleaning too. This is a great time to open up all your windows and let some fresh air in as you dust and clean inside. Check all of your air filters, windows from the inside, fireplaces, chimneys, smoke alarms, and attics. As you’re moving through the list, you can make notes and set a new schedule for when to check the different parts of your home based on your findings.

Do you have any helpful home maintenance tips to share? We’d love to hear about them. Check out our social media pages and comment on our blog posts with your favorite tips: Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. If you happen to be looking to sell your home this spring, we’d love to work with you. Reach out to us here. Happy spring cleaning!