May is here which means summer is right around the corner. You may already be feeling that summer is in the air with the rising temperatures and longer days. Now is a great time to do some routine maintenance and get your home prepared for the summer. Here’s a few tips!

1.) Ensure your fence gets repaired, if needed. During the summer it is more likely your family will be spending time outside. Therefore it is important to make sure your fence is properly standing and any posts that are broken or missing are replaced to make sure your loved ones are adequately protected. 

2.) Spray for pests. Be mindful of pets and children and first ensure they will not be near areas that get sprayed. You can usually find a bottle of bug spray at a supermarket, home goods store or many other retailers. Follow the instructions on the bottle to adequately and safely protect your home.

3.) Clean your gutters! Remove leaves, debris and anything else that could lead to blockages. That way your gutters can do what they are supposed to do.

4.) Check your hoses. Hopefully you stored all hoses away when you winterized your home. Now, you can bring them back out and double check they are still in working order. If not, now would be a good time to replace.

5.) Check your smoke/carbon monoxide detectors. Make sure they are going to work in the event of an emergency. If it has been over a year since you’ve replaced the batteries (or you can’t remember the last time you did so), now would also be a good time to replace those. It is recommended to change smoke/carbon monoxide detector batteries once a year and replace the entire unit every 10 years. Bonus tip: set a reminder on your calendar for this date next year to replace the batteries again.

6.) Don’t forget to clean your exterior! Hose down or power wash the exterior of your home to clean off dirt and other debris and really refresh the outside and curb appeal of your home.

7.) Get your cooling unit in tip-top shape. Make sure your filter is clean. You should aim to change the filter on your HVAC every other month, so if it’s been a while, now would be a good time. Also important is the exterior of your unit as well as the air ducts in your home. This website has an excellent step-by-step breakdown of how to clean your exterior cooling unit as well as your air ducts: click here to read. 



Written by Blair Hayes, REALTOR®