 5 Tips for Spring Clean-Up
Original Content by Carl Johnson The cold weather finally breaks and you find yourself immediately outside for a walk, reading a book, or even playing catch in the yard! But before you jump right into the hot sunny days of the summer it is important to help tune up your home on the outside to get the most out of your yard for the rest of the year! From gardening to HVAC maintenance, the spring is a perfect time to do a pulse check on the exterior of your home and start the year off in the right direction. See below for a fast check on our Spring Clean-Up To-DO list and then read on to learn more for each item checked off!
Roof & Gutter Check Start with a simple perimeter walk of your home. Step back and see that all gutters look aligned and attached, that there are no sliding pieces of roof, and that no obvious branches or debris are lodged into the roof or gutters. If anything looks amiss or if you even want to get a more thorough look, most local roofing companies will come out and do a consultation for you. Even if you live in a dense wood area, drone flyovers are popular options by the professionals to get a good look at the condition of your home's roof to help you out. If there was some extreme damage in your area during the last year, check with your insurance for roof coverage. Conditions such as hail, extreme wind, and tree damage can likely be covered for repairs or even a whole new roof. As always you should consult a professional, but if you have a single level house and a ladder you are comfortable working with, you can go up and look into your gutters yourself. Simply remove any debris by hand, just scoop to clean out any leaves, dirt, or debris. This can help with the longevity of your home's roof and gutters. Landscaping Taking care of the landscaping around your house is more than just to look pretty. The most important thing to check is that the yard around you is sloping away from the house. This ensures that water is draining properly and not causing any water damage to the house’s basement, foundation, and crawl spaces. If you notice any areas that need reslopped you can simply build up the area with dirt and mulch. If there is a more severe issue you can always consult with a professional who can more easily help you out with equipment and stop any issues before they arise. Some other simple landscaping tasks include tree trimming, grass irrigation, and reseeding! The spring is also a great time to prepare any areas for gardening or flower beds. CLICK HERE to read my published article on growing Native Gardens! A garden and the landscape around your home can be a relaxing experience to tend to all year long. From a simple window box to a fully fenced in garden, there are benefits to any amount of time spent outdoors working your land! The spring is when you can map out and start your planning and once the weather breaks you can start to plant. Make sure to look into your gardening zone to see when is the optimal time to start - CLICK HERE to read more about your climate zone. HVAC Check After a full winter of running your furnace, it is always a good idea to check into the health of your HVAC unit before you get your air conditioning up and working. Make sure that you clean leaves or dirt from around the exterior of your air condition unit, check that all exhaust vents are free from build up and not stuck behind any bush growths or even that no birds have built a nest inside! If you don’t change your air filters monthly, now is a great time before you switch from heat to AC. If you have an older unit, it can also be a good idea to have a professional come out and do a full check on your HVAC system. Sometimes a minor repair and cost now can save you from the need of a more expensive fix later. Windows & Siding Cleanup Whether you have your own pressure washer or you hire a company to do it for you, washing your house is the thing to do even if it sounds funny! Taking the time to pressure wash your siding and windows allows you to do a full 360 check of your home as well as help the longevity of the exterior. Make sure to check that the siding is all fully intact, bricks have no cracks in the mortar, and any areas that show damage get corrected. While washing windows you can also make sure they all open and close properly, that all locks and child locks are working, and also repair any screens at your local hardware store to keep out those summer bugs. Freshen Up Your Look! Sometimes a small change can not only make things look better but they can make you feel better too. Think about coming home to a bright and welcoming freshly painted front door, or some new flower boxes added to your front windows, or even painting your home. Take the time to make a small or big refresh to the exterior of your home to kick off the spring season. Some of my favorite tasks to do include:
At the end of the day any amount of care taken to the outside of your home can impact both you and the house positively. You get to enjoy the great weather and the house stays in great shape. The next time you think of spring, think of an outdoor home clean up and see what you can do next for your home! CLICK HERE to read our article on Luxury Homes and how to make yours stand out from the crowd.
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