Autumn is here in all its glory: the leaves are turning, the kids are back in school, the pumpkin spice lattes are everywhere in sight. But is your home as ready as you are for fall?
Whether you live in a house or a condo, preparing your home for fall is very important, especially in Canada where winter can rear its head quite literally overnight. If this is the first time you are preparing your home for fall, or just want to make sure you are doing enough, here is a comprehensive fall maintenance checklist to help you prepare your home.
Indoors
1. Check For Drafts: Feel around the edges of all your windows and doors in your home. Or better yet, get a candle and light it around the edges of those windows and doors. If, when using a steady hand, the candle flickers its flame, there is most likely a draft and you will need to replace the seal or repair the caulking in those areas. Having a draughty home means that all that cold air quickly will seep in from outside and will make your furnace work twice as hard as it needs to.
2. Check Your Furnace: While on the subject of avoiding your furnace do double duty, have an HVAC professional come in to check the heating efficiency of your home. While they are there they can change the filter to your furnace and test for any leaks such as carbon monoxide to make sure that you are ready for winter.
3. Winterize Your Air Conditioner: If you have central air conditioning with an external unit outside your house, it is smart to cover it up with a protective cover so that snow does not settle in and rust your unit. If you live in a condo and own a window air conditioner now is the perfect time to remove the unit from the window or cover it up to prevent any air leaks.
4. Program Your Thermostat: This is a serious game-changer. Buying a programmable thermostat where the temperature of your home can be lowered while you are at work can result in substantial savings. Plus, you can purchase a smart thermostat and link it with your smart home technology for added value to your home!
5. Clean Humidifiers: If your home uses humidifiers, now is the best time to replace old filters and clean inside their compartments. An efficient, inexpensive and environmentally friendly way to clean the compartments is to use vinegar.
6. Test Home Safety Devices: While you are in the fall cleaning mood, test your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide devices to make sure they are all working and that their batteries are full of life.
Garage and Storage Lockers
7. Store Summer Vehicles: If you have a motorcycle or any other summer vehicle (think ATVs or sportscar) now is a great time to have them serviced and stored away for the season.
8. Test Your Generator: If your home has an emergency generator, this is the best time to give it a test run to make sure you will be safe from any power outages due to a crazy snow storm in the future.
9. Buy Extra Gasoline: This is an excellent tip for any time of the year, but I cannot stress it enough for winter. This extra gas should be stored in a tank away from fire sources and the reach of children but can come in handy when you want to minimize your winter driving. It can also be used to fuel your snow blower or generator.
10. Clean Your Garage / Storage Locker: Most of us tend to avoid tackling big projects, but when we avoid our problems, they only continue to pile up. If you are already in the garage doing the above easy tasks, you might as well purge what you do not need, organize what you want to keep, and make room for what you will need come spring.
Balconies and Backyards
11. Bring In Flowerpots: If you are a gardener who enjoys replacing their plants every year, make sure that you have emptied, cleaned and dried your pots so you can put them away for next spring. If, however, you prefer to keep your plants in their pots all year round, now is the ideal time to bring them inside.
12. Plant Bulbs: If you want a beautiful garden when the snow disappears, plant your bulbs now and reap the benefits in the spring!
13. Put Away Seasonal Furniture: Remove and clean any cushions on your furniture and put them in a dry place to store for the winter. Wash the rest of your furniture and if you can store it or bring it inside your home, do so.
14. Check Exteriors: Check your home’s exterior walls for any cracks or holes. If there are any you think you can easily repair yourself, do so, but do not be afraid to consult and hire a professional.
Set aside a full day in one of these upcoming October weekends to go around your house or condo and make sure everything is in ship-shape order. You will save time and money preparing your home for fall!
