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Everyone loves fall. The perfect temperatures, cozy clothes and blankets, and seasonal decoĢr put everyone in a good mood. So, use your festive spirit to help you tackle fall home maintenance chores with a smile. Later, you can reward your efforts with your favorite pumpkin-flavored treat.
The cold months mean potential bad weather can ruin the best-laid plans. Fall home maintenance is extra essential because it’s the foundation for securing your home against rain, snow, and dipping temperatures. But don’t ignore interior maintenance; there’s room for disaster prevention there, too.
General Interior Fall Home Maintenance
As the cooler weather settles in and before holiday guests start arriving, now’s the perfect time to tackle essential fall maintenance inside your home.
- Sanitize and repair any vacuum accessories and parts that are worn.
- Vacuum and dust the electric baseboards or panel radiators if they heat your home. Excessive dust is a fire hazard.
- Change smoke and carbon monoxide detector batteries at the end of Daylight Saving Time.
- Insects and small rodents like warmth, too. Schedule a visit from a pest control company.
- Improve windows and doors with various types of weather stripping.
General Exterior Fall Home Maintenance
There’s a lot of work to be done outside in the fall. Give yourself ample time to complete everything.
- Care for and protect your air conditioning systems by covering fixed and temporary units.
- Switch screen windows with storm windows.
- Because the daylight hours are short, use programmable exterior lights to provide safety and cost-efficiency.
- Trim trees to prevent damage to the exterior of the house. Raccoons and squirrels use any branch they find to enter the attic space.
- Shrubs and young trees need pruning and mulch to survive harsh winters.
- Plant bulbs in the fall according to your gardening zone if a spring garden makes you happy.
- Empty your garden of last summer’s debris. It houses pests.
- Clean gutters are the best defense against flooding and foundation deterioration.
- Take lawn care to the max: aerate, fertilize, and mulch. Don’t rake all of the leaves. A thin layer of mulched foliage gives a home to helpful bugs and provides nutrients to the grass.
- After fall ornamental planting, disinfect and store pots and planters.
- Stow hoses and garden lawn tools.
- Clean and repaint patio furniture before covering or moving it inside.
- Turn off the water flow and clear out the remaining water from the hose bibs while installing insulating covers to prevent potential frozen pipes.
- Inspect the foundation, rooflines, and other pest access points. Unwanted “guests” take advantage of your heated space.
- Sprinkler systems need winterization. If you don’t clear the water trapped inside, the lines could expand and crack.
Essential Fall Home Maintenance: Room-by-Room Checklist
Kitchen: Prep for Fall Cooking and Entertaining
You’ll spend plenty of time in the kitchen preparing school lunches, holiday meals, and festive treats, so keep it in working order to make cooking and baking enjoyable.
- Replace any worn-out utensils and cookware for fast and efficient prep.
- Plan and freeze recipes for quick and easy meals.
- The dishwasher’s interior can get stinky. Clean it with a homemade vinegar solution or commercial cleaners.
- The oven will be in heavy rotation this fall. Start with a deep cleaning and continue touch-ups throughout the season.
- Don’t forget about holiday serveware. Remove it from storage and clean before service.
- Schedule time right before guests arrive to deep clean the floors and wipe down cabinet surfaces.
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Bathrooms: Guest-Ready and Functional
Autumn starts the season of "company is coming." Get your guest bathrooms ready for frequent use.
- Add pleasant-smelling candles or incense reeds.
- New, clean hand towels are inviting.
- Check for running toilets and proper flushing mechanisms to avoid embarrassing situations for guests.
- Faucets that leak leave ugly residue rings. Fix them yourself, or call a plumber if necessary.
- Give yourself time to repair unsightly (and potentially leaky) tub grout.
Living Room: Cozy and Welcoming
The center space for entertaining should be comfortable and ready at a moment’s notice to receive friends and family.
- Display new fleece and Sherpa-like blankets in baskets for everyone’s use.
- Use a decorative fireplace screen and log holder. A new caddy of wood-burning utensils adds to the ambiance.
- Schedule an early check-up with the chimney sweep to maintain your fireplace's health.
- Flameless candles on timers add elegance and warmth.
- Update and wash any pet bedding and toys.
Get ideas here to freshen up your home's fall decor.
Bedrooms: Comfort for Family and Guests
Guest bedrooms get a workout over the holidays. Make everyone feel at home with a few extra touches.
- Add a rug or two to fight chilly mornings.
- Provide a heavier quilt or multiple blankets and pillow choices.
- For everyday bedrooms, streamline bedmaking and dressing for peaceful back-to-school mornings.
- Master bedrooms benefit from routine-friendly mornings, too.
Basement or Utility Room: Prevent Last-Minute Disasters
Don’t wait until a problem occurs; preemptive strikes are best. Last-minute disasters usually get you last-minute service people to bail you out.
- Inspect and service HVAC systems as part of your fall home maintenance plan. Friends and neighbors will be glad to recommend their favorite trustworthy and reputable professionals.
- Change filters and dust any air returns and intake covers.
Fall begins a festive season of the year for many households. With numerous gatherings ahead, the best course of action is to try and avoid any unpleasant occurrences by giving the house the attention it needs to run smoothly. Preventing and preparing for unseen maintenance issues is a part of homeownership that can’t be overlooked or postponed.
By Dawn M. Smith
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