When I bought my first house I was super excited for the chance decorate, nest, and make that house a home. Unfortunately we were not very knowledgeable in the area of regular home maintenance. This became apparent when we had a ton of repairs to make when it was time to sell that first home.  To avoid that problem in our second home we created a Maintenance Checklist for Home Care, and here is the fall portion of our plan.

Outside Fall Maintenance Checklist for Home Care

1. Check your roof. Look for loose shingles, trim, etc. that can fly off in your first windy, winter storm.  Check your roof for water leaks and pay close attention to areas near skylights, vents, etc.
2. Check your gutters and down spouts. Clean out the debris (you may have to do this several times during the fall season) and fall is the perfect time to think about touch up paint on those gutters.
3. Caulk and Patch. Look for exterior cracks, window trim, and door frame leaks.
4. Disconnect all of your hoses. Also you need to empty your sprinkler systems (you may want a professional for this task) and drain your pipes before the first hard freeze in your area.
5. Take down your window screens and patch them where necessary. It is then time to for your storm windows to go up.
6. Clean your fireplace, it’s time to get rid of last year’s ashes. Have a professional chimney sweep come out to clean, and be sure to repair any loose or missing mortar on the chimney. Finally open and adjust the damper and clean your fireplace doors.

Interior Fall Maintenance Checklist for Home Care

1. Check the basement or crawl space for for mold, dampness, and critters.  Use a dehumidifier to get rid of dampness, if necessary. If there are uninvited guests, find and seal the openings that they are using to get into your basement or crawl space.
2. Clean or replace all air filters, the dryer vent, the air conditioner, the stove hood, and your room fans. Reverse (to clockwise) your ceiling fan motors, and have your furnace inspected and/or serviced.
3. Inspect your washing machine’s water supply hoses and clean the filters. Also remember to check your water pipes’ insulation.

Photo Credit:  Svadilfari