Home Maintenance Checklist

End of Summer Home Maintenance Checklist

End of summer Home Maintenance Checklist

Ahhh summertime. Cookouts, nature hikes, pool games, outdoor markets, parades, concerts, and home maintenance. If you’ve been filling up your schedule with summertime fun, don’t sweat, there’s still time to make sure your house stays in tip-top shape. Making a few repairs now offers protection throughout the upcoming winter and prevents future repair needs. Explore this end-of-summer home maintenance checklist to ensure your home is well-prepared for the colder months ahead.

Use this simple checklist to round out your summer to-do list and ensure your home is running smoothly year-round.

Appliances

  • Service the washer and dryer. Check supply hoses, clean the appliances, remove lint from the dryer and the dryer vents.
  • Check water softener. Refill salt if necessary and check for leaks.
  • Flush the water heater and ensure it’s in good condition.
  • Schedule your furnace tune-up and inspection, and change HVAC air filters.
  • Clean the kitchen exhaust fan and filter.
  • Clean refrigerator and freezer coils, empty and clean drip trays, and ensure they are in good working order.
  • Clean the oven and any other appliances.

Outside

  • Look for cracks and openings around the house, foundation, windows, and doors.
  • Seal up any openings with outdoor caulk.
  • Check that gutters are in good repair and clean out if necessary.
  • Clean outdoor lights and replace any burned-out bulbs.
  • Scrub decks or patios, repair and reseal if needed.
  • Inspect fences and gates, make any necessary repairs.
  • Inspect your roof and soffits. Go beyond a visual inspection, by checking your roof for soft spots and testing the integrity of the shingles. Loose shingles should be replaced, and soft spots should be scrutinized more closely.
  • Add or replace weather-stripping on exterior doors.
  • Clean, prepare and store your awnings.
  • Hose off and clean out your outdoor garbage bins. Animals and rodents have a strong sense of smell, and colder weather can create desperation among certain species.

Inside

  • Inspect all doors, locks, and hinges. Oil hinges, service locks, check weather stripping and threshold plates.
  • Inspect windows and screens. Make sure everything is working properly, mend holes in screens, and wash the windows inside and out.
  • Check the plumbing. Look around sinks, dishwasher, washing machine, shower, and toilets for signs of water leaks. Look in and around cabinets too. Replace washers in faucets and showerheads if they drip or leak.

Check our other blogs under Real Estate 101 – that might give you answers about buying or selling a home.

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