Spring break awaits many of us. While in most years, many people “fly the coop” during this next week, the continued pandemic and upended schedules is tending to keep many of us at home this year. What better time to have a staycation and get a jump on all of those spring maintenance chores by getting the whole family involved! If you are lucky enough to be traveling, you could also hire these little things out to your favorite handy-person to take care of while you are gone.
Obviously, we are pathologically excited about taking care of the mundane tasks around our homes, but we’ve said it before: a little sweat equity invested in taking care of your home pays for itself as your home ages. Last year, many of us found ourselves stuck at home as the pandemic got into full swing and communities instituted various forms of stay-at-home orders. The extra time at home in the spring, meant that we all had plenty of time for completing the spring home maintenance checklist. This year, we might have to be more mindful in carving out time to take care of these tasks.
The last time we wrote about home maintenance was in the late fall when we discussed the winter maintenance checklist. That checklist was a bit shorter than some other ones, but we will make up for it with the spring chores. Spring officially begins with the equinox on March 21, so now is the perfect time to start knocking out these maintenance items.
As usual, you will again want to take care of these quarterly tasks:
- Clean: trash bins, sink drains, dishwasher screen.
- Check air filters.
- Look for leaks around plumbing.
- Inspect grout and caulking.
- Test smoke and CO detectors. You SHOULD have changed those batteries last week when Daylight Savings Time arrived!
- Take a good look around the outside of your home and look for new developments.
- Test GFCI outlets in kitchen and baths
Specifically in spring, you need to spend time on these chores to ensure the long term health of your home:
- Inspect roof for damage from winter snow/ice storms.
- Check sump-pump for proper operation to prepare for spring and summer rains.
- Polish wood furniture. While dry dusting is adequate for routine cleanings, once in a while, using actual polish on your wood furniture is necessary to ensure its longevity.
- Dust light fixtures and ceiling fans.
- Refinish (clean and seal) the deck (you will need a few dry days in a row to do this)
- Inspect caulking around indoor plumbing and fix where cracked or missing.
- De-winterize outdoor plumbing.
- Fertilize lawn.
- Clean out gutters and downspouts.
- If you have a septic system, get a professional inspection and pump-out.
- Clean out dryer vent.
- Change the air conditioner filter and schedule professional maintenance of your air conditioning unit (once the outdoor temps rise above 60 F.
- Check fire extinguishers to make sure they haven’t expired.
- Inspect outdoor paint and touch-up where needed
- Wash windows and re-install window screens if you took them out for the cool seasons…a great way to get children involved!
- If you forgot to winterize your lawn mower, this now is the perfect time to get your blade sharpened and make sure your lawncare equipment is preventively maintained and ready to go! Once the grass starts growing, you won’t have time for lawnmower repairs.
- Stay ahead of the weeds and prepare for mulching by pulling out the tiny weeds that are starting to emerge in your landscaping.
Actually, for some quality forced family fun, you can get your entire family involved in spring maintenance, and then go celebrate together when everything is finished. If they moan and complain, just blame us.
Sometimes during your work, you might run into something unusual that requires additional expertise. If you need a professional to check something out, call you favorite F.C. Tucker Emge REALTOR® and they will point you in the right direction. We love helping people make the most of their homes. Let’s Talk!
