Although we are still lucky enough to be enjoying a hot summer, you all know how quickly time passes these days.
Before you know it, you’ll face cooler temperatures with a stunning array of orange, red, and yellow leaves falling from the trees, and that’s a clear indication that the autumn is upon us. And when that time does come, there are many changes that will need to happen within your home to make sure it’s ready.
It’s always a good idea to look at how your home maintenance needs to change with the various seasons ahead of time. This prevents you from running around like a headless chicken last minute sorting things out that could’ve been dealt with a lot sooner. Where you live determines the actions that need to be made. If you live in a cooler climate, you don’t want to be caught off guard.
The Interior
Look out for drafts
You will want to feel around all the windows and doors in your home so that you can detect whether there is a slight draft or breeze running through. If you aren’t too sure, then a good trick is to bring a lit candle and hold it around the area that you’re inspecting. If the flame flickers, then you’ll know that there is a draft. And if there is, you will want to replace any seals so that there are no gaps, as this will only let in cool air from the outside, and allow any hot air to escape from the inside.
Change up your air conditioning
If you already have an air conditioning system installed, then you will have most likely used it during the summer to cool down your home. But you will want to change the settings on this when the time comes so that it is appropriate for the cooler seasons. If it doesn’t have this feature, then you can just cover the whole unit up to ensure it doesn’t let off anything you don’t want it to.
Summer clean
Give your home the equivalent of a spring clean. That way you don’t have so much to do in the next few months! This means cleaning things from top to bottom, getting rid of what you don’t need, and making those floors squeaky clean. You can find all the tools you need by looking at some cleaning mops reviews so you have the best weapon at hand for the job.
Set the thermostat
Having a thermostat will seem essential if your home is prone to getting icy cold. This can also become very costly though if you’re having to keep it on throughout the day. One tip for reducing costs and energy, is setting the thermostat to a lower temperature automatically once you reach a certain time in the late evening. And then the temperature can be set to increase again late morning or early afternoon. Also remember to turn it off completely when it isn’t needed, like when you leave the house.
Check home safety devices
It is absolutely essential to test all of your home safety devices to make sure that they are working correctly. Replace any batteries in all smoke detectors and also the carbon monoxide devices. You should also clean any humidifier that you have in your home so you know they’re doing their job properly. You don’t need fancy cleaning products to do this with – vinegar works just as well.
The Exterior
Check the roof
You don’t necessarily need to do this by climbing up the ladder and standing up on the roof, you should be able to have a basic view from the ground. Essentially, you’re looking to spot any abnormalities with the slabs. You can have a closer inspection if you have some binoculars. You want to look out for any missing, damaged, or loose fitting slabs/tiles. If you do think there is a problem, call in a professional to have a proper look.
Stock up on wood
The earlier you can do this, the better. Prices will often get a lot more expensive when the season arrives. So order enough for what you need so that you don’t have to worry about getting more later. If you’re going to collect your own wood, then make sure that it’s dry enough, then cover it and store it away somewhere safe.
Clean out the gutters
Over time, a lot of leaves and debris will fall down and sit inside your gutters. If this accumulates a lot over a good few weeks, it will be rather hard to clean out. So try and do this regularly to avoid future problems. But if you’ve left it too late and it’s more difficult than you may have thought, just call in a professional to do it for you. That way they will also be able to check for cracks and leaks while doing so.
Turn off taps
Make sure that all off the outside taps are turned properly so that they don’t drip, as when the winter time comes, this could freeze the interior. You also want to make sure that all the hoses have been drained properly so no water is left trapped inside. The just store them somewhere safe like in your garden or shed.
Plant bulbs
If you enjoy gardening and like planning what grows when, plant your bulbs for the spring time now. The same goes for any other plants that you have that are scheduled to start their growing period now.
Remove the leaves
Rake up all of the leaves scattered around your garden. Put them in a pile for your compost heap. If not, bag them up and leave them by the curb for community pick up. You can check online to find out more.
Have other suggestions for preparing for the season change? Tell us in the comments!
