3 Fall House Maintenance Chores Every Homeowner NEEDS to Do: Outdoors (Part 1/2)
Everyone knows you’re supposed to give your house a deep “spring clean” every year. But did you know that there are some fall house maintenance chores you should attend to each year to prepare your home for the cooler weather?
Fall is an excellent time to perform some home maintenance chores to keep your house in tip-top shape and get it ready for the cooler weather and the holidays. This is especially important if you will be hosting family gatherings.
There are both outdoor and indoor maintenance every homeowner should attend to each fall. In an upcoming article, we will discuss the indoor fall house maintenance chores you should check off your list yearly. In this article, we will discuss four outdoor fall house maintenance chores that every homeowner should attend to each year.
- Clean, repair, replace gutters
- Fertilize your lawn
- Fix cracks in your driveway
- Drain your outdoor faucets
1. Clean, repair, replace gutters
One of the most important fall house maintenance chores is to attend to your gutters. Having clean and functioning gutters is essential to the outdoor drainage and health of your house. Improper water drainage can cause damage to your gutters, siding, walls, windows, and roof.
During the fall, your gutters will fill up quickly with falling leaves and whatever the cooler fall breezes blow in. Therefore, fall is an important time to maintain clean gutters. It is also an excellent time to check on the state of your gutters and make any repairs or replacements needed. Checking your gutters is also an optimum time to check the state of your roof as well for any damage or elements that could lead to damage.
2. Fertilize your lawn
The key to enjoying a truly healthy and vibrant lawn in the spring and summer is preparation lawn maintenance in the fall. Therefore, one critical fall house maintenance chore that should be on your checklist is to fertilize your lawn. Even though fall is not a peak growing season for the roots of your lawn, they are still active. Fertilizing them in the fall will protect them from the colder weather in the fall and winter. Not only that, but it will also give your lawn a head start on turning green and lush in the spring.
3. Fix cracks in your driveway
As previously discussed, water can be a major damaging element to your home. This is also the case for your driveway and sidewalks, especially where there are cracks. Water will naturally wear down and worsen the cracks in your driveway due to erosion. However, water will cause even more damage if it is allowed to freeze and expand in the cracks during the winter. A cracked driveway is not only unattractive for curb appeal and devalues your home, it can be a safety hazard as well.
Repairing cracks in your driveway or sidewalk can be a relatively inexpensive and quick job. However, if you ignore the issue too long, you might need a complete driveway replacement. This is much more expensive and time-consuming to complete. Do your home (and your wallet!) a favor and take advantage of the fall weather to check on the state of your driveway each year.
Be sure to stay tuned for Part 2 where we discuss the indoor fall house maintenance chores you should check off your list each year.
Keeping up with your fall house maintenance each year makes sure your house is in tip-top shape when you are ready to sell. Are you considering selling your home soon? Give Ruth Stultz a call to see how she can help! Ruth Stultz is a highly experienced realtor who understands Lake Conroe and Montgomery County better than anyone. When it comes to selling your current home or finding the perfect property with everything you want, Ruth knows exactly where to look. You can trust Ruth Stultz with buying and selling your home.
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