Everyone has heard of, and dreads, spring cleaning, but fall cleaning can be even more important in order to prevent costly damages to your house that might occur during the winter months. Before the snow comes and you curl under mountains of fleece blankets to hibernate for the winter and get some overdue reading done, check these items off your fall home maintenance tips and checklist.

Winter Home Maintenance Checklist

1. Trim trees and shrubbery. Fall is the perfect time to trim back all your trees and bushes because by now, all your plants have stopped growing for the year. Trim your plants so that they are at least 3 to 4 inches away from your house to avoid siding damage from dripping water. Also, trim dead branches from all the trees.

Tools you need:

Hand pruners

Gardening gloves

Hedge Trimmers

Loping shears

2. Seal cracks and gaps around your house. Take a walk around the interior and exterior of your house to find these small spaces where heat can escape and moisture can come in during the winter. Then use caulk to fill the space and seal it up.

Tools you need:

Tube of caulk

Caulking gun

3. Clear out and clean gutters and downspouts. Wait for most of the leaves to fall for the autumn season before getting out the ladder and cleaning out all the gutters on your house. You may be surprised by how quickly they build up with gunk, and blocked gutters can cause ice blocks during the winter and damage to your roof or siding. After cleaning them out, secure all the support brackets.

Tools you need:

Gutter cleaner probe or scraper

Screwdriver or wrench

4. Check and clean heating systems. Clean the air ducts and replace the filter on your furnace. Having dirty air ducts and air filters will increase the chance that someone in your house will get a cold or even the flu, but taking these steps will ensure you and your family with breath easy all winter.

Tools you need:

New air filter

Air duct brush

Screwdriver

5. Shut off the water to outdoor faucets. Freezing temperatures could cause un-drained pipes to freeze, burst, and cause further damage to the interior of your house. Simply shut off the water that leads to these faucets then drain your hoses and store them.

Tools you need:

None

6. Check and clean chimney and fireplace. In order to avoid dangerous chimney fires, it’s important to clean your chimney every year. Look up your chimney with a flashlight, checking for creosote buildup, then call a professional to ensure that cleaning is done properly. Also be sure that the fireplace flue has a tight seal when it is closed.

Tools you need:

Flashlight

We hope these fall home maintenance tips have been helpful for you and your family. Fall home maintenance will help you prepare for the harsh winter months and may prevent you from paying costly repairs that could have been avoided. Your home is one of your most important investments keeping everything up to date and maintained will help you get the best ROI if you decide to sell down the road.

Low VA Rates has every homeowner’s best interests at heart. We want to ensure that your home is safe and everything you hoped it would be. To learn more about our home loans, call us now to speak with one of our mortgage experts.