Time to Get Your Home Ready for Fall

This time of year, many homeowners take the opportunity to open the windows, let the crisp autumn air in, and take care of some of the home maintenance that needs to be completed to get their homes ready for the winter months. And what better time to do it than when the temperature is perfect, the air is crisp, and the beautiful fall colors are getting ready to change!

Here are some tips to get your home ready this fall.

Clean up the landscaping. Cut back annual plants for the season (this will allow for healthy growth in the spring), clean up and/or replace the mulch in flower beds, and trim up the trees and remove any dead branches, fertilize your lawn and plant bulbs now for a spring blooms.

Test your smoke and Co2 detectors. Change batteries if necessary.

Clean the gutters and downspouts. Built up debris can cause leaks and further maintenance later on down the road.

This is a great time to get your HVAC unit and chimney cleaned and serviced. Not only does this keep the air in your home cleaner, it will extend the life of your home's systems. Don't forget to change the filter!

Check your deck for cracked or loose boards. Check your patio for cracks in the concrete or loose bricks/stones. Give it a good pressure wash.

Time to clean and close the pool for the season.

Reverse the direction of your ceiling fans. Clockwise to circulate warm air in the fall and winter; counter-clockwise to circulate cool air in the spring and summer.