Oh, how we love to pull on a cozy sweater after a long summer, put some homemade soup on the stove, and cozy up by the fire with a good book.  Those are the true delights of the fall season.  What we don’t enjoy is cleaning out our gutters, raking leaves for hours, and making sure our furnace is ready to take on the cold!  We thought we’d make it easier on you and at least provide a handy dandy checklist, so you can breeze (no pun intended) through it and have your home ready for fall storms and colder weather in no time!

Fall Home Maintenance Checklist

Indoors

• Get your furnace serviced and replace the filter.
• Check and update caulking around windows, doors, and vents.
• Add weather-stripping around frames of windows and doors to boost insulation and cut down on energy costs.
• Remove window A/C units in order to prevent unwanted cold air from getting in.
• Clean dryer vents so they work more efficiently.
• Schedule a chimney cleaning and inspection.
• Check safety devices such as smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors.
• Vacuum radiators, baseboard heaters, and vents.

 Outdoors

• Clean out gutters- Check joints and downspouts.
• Drain and insulate outdoor faucets.
• Store outdoor furniture.
• Look for signs of damage to the roof, siding, and foundation of your home and make repairs before winter weather hits.
• Seal gaps where critters could enter.
• Drain and winterize irrigation systems.
• Care for trees and shrubs to avoid falling limbs during storms.
• Rake leaves and use the debris as mulch and insulation for outdoor plants.
• Prune and cut back plants.