Your Complete Home Maintenance Checklist By Season

Despite the ever-changing weather in many states, home maintenance is a year-round job with little off-season. As a homeowner, you have a responsibility to keep your home operating and looking its best. To save you money, prevent appliance breakdowns and keep your home in tip-top shape, it’s important that you regularly conduct a home maintenance check. While it can sound intimidating at first, home maintenance gets easier with practice and by establishing a routine.

We’ve organized a home maintenance checklist by season to make your cleaning and repairs more manageable and easier to track. Save the link and revisit this checklist at the beginning and end of each season to stay ahead of your home maintenance schedule.

Depending on where you live, the winter season can come with a variety of weather conditions. In the colder parts of the country, you can expect to experience heavy snow, ice accumulation, freezing temperatures and wind chill. Warmer parts of the country will likely not experience snowfall; however, these drier climates will have cooler temperatures. With the holiday season in full swing during the winter months, it’s critical that your house is in prime working condition, especially if you’re planning to host a family dinner or a holiday party. Keep in mind that home maintenance will be different for different climates, so the level of precaution you take against the elements will vary based on the severity of winter weather in your state.

Nonetheless, you can protect your home during the colder months of the year by checking these items off your list before the below-freezing temperatures hit:

• Cover your air-conditioning unit. Don’t let the winter elements damage your air conditioner. Protect your AC unit from leaves, sticks, snow and frost by covering your air conditioner.
• Inspect downspouts and gutters for damage after heavy storms. After the heavy rainstorms of spring, summer and fall, check to make sure your downspouts and gutters aren’t damaged. You’ll need them to withstand the harsh winter weather.
• Check the basement for any water leaks. Just because raining and flooding aren’t as common in the winter doesn’t mean you can forget about basement leaks. During thaws, be sure to check your basement and any other problem areas for leaks.
• Clean fridge coils. Take a vacuum and clean up your fridge coils. While you’re at it, clean out the refrigerator and the freezer drip pans.
• Clean oven and stove. At this point, it’s probably too cold to do any more home maintenance outside. Stay inside and clean your oven and stove so you’ll be ready to whip up some delicious holiday meals.
• Clean drains in sinks, tubs, showers and dishwasher. It’s important to clean out your drains at least once a year. Designate winter as the unofficial time to refresh the drains in your sinks, tubs, showers and dishwasher.

As trees begin to bud and signs of plant life emerge from the thawed ground, it’s time to prepare your home for spring. In most parts of the country, spring will likely bring changes in weather. For the most part, spring temperatures are mild as it warms up from winter and climates can be both moist and dry. As temperatures rise, you can start working on the exterior maintenance of your house.

But don’t forget about rain! The spring season is known for its rain showers, which can bring lightning, flooding and tornadoes in some states. So as things thaw in spring, be sure to protect your house from the elements and save your rainy days for indoor spring cleaning. Hopefully you catch spring fever to get through each bullet on this spring maintenance checklist:

• Drain your water heater. As you drain your water heater, make sure to also check for leaks and pressure issues.
• Inspect your roof for missing or damaged shingles. Check for damage to your roof and shingles from winter windstorms or blizzards. In the spring and summer months, try to get your roof inspected after major rain or hail storms to prevent any serious damage.
• Power wash windows and siding. Liven up the exterior of your home by power washing the windows and siding to remove a layer or two of dirt and grime.
• Change the air-conditioning filter. Before it gets super hot outside, be sure to change your AC unit’s filter. While you’re at it, have a HVAC specialist inspect your air conditioner.
• Clean up your lawn. Start cultivating a luscious green lawn by fertilizing, mowing and adding nutrients to your green spaces.
• Plant flowers. Take your home’s exterior to the next level by planting flowers or starting a garden. Whether you’re planting flowers, fruits, veggies or herbs, starting a small garden is a fun spring activity for all.
• Replace the batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. It’s very important that you replace the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors every 6 months. Let spring be the first time you replace them, then mark your calendar 6 months out to remember to replace the batteries again.
• Inspect and repair caulking in the interior and exterior of your home. Though a somewhat minor detail, it’s important to inspect your windows, doors, mechanicals, sinks, showers and bath for caulking deterioration. Repair any wear and tear to the caulking.

Little compares to lounging in the summer sun, so as the weather heats up, you’ll want to check the home maintenance off your to-do list and catch some rays. Regardless of where you live, summer brings along hot or warm weather. In some climates, summer is associated with dry weather, but in other climates, it’s often humid or damp. Despite being a beautiful, sunny season, there are some severe summer weather conditions to watch out for including thunderstorms, hurricanes, tornadoes and droughts.

Aside from these elements, summer is a time to soak up the sun and embrace the outdoors. Don’t let home maintenance get in the way of enjoying your summer! Tackle these simple tasks in the early months of the season so you can spend the rest of your summer chilling poolside. If you’re up to it, get creative and work on a new summer DIY home project.

Here’s our summer home maintenance checklist:

• Reseal decks. Before you and your family start spending all your time outside, reseal your wood deck to extend its life and prevent water damage. Be sure to also inspect your deck or concrete patio for deterioration.
• Check siding for chips and cracks. Inspect your siding for any chips or cracks, and don’t be shy to touch up any problem areas on the exterior of your home.
• Trim back or remove dead trees and tree limbs. If you don’t feel confident in your ability to trim or remove dead trees and tree limbs, hire an arborist or tree trimmer to help out. They’ll be able to remove damage or dead trees, and inspect the landscape to make sure no trees fall on or near your home.
• Seal tile grout. If the summer heat is getting to be unbearable, go inside and seal any tile grout that might be deteriorating.
• Repair driveways and walkways. Repair uneven, cracked and broken driveways, sidewalks and walkways to prevent trips and keep your home’s exterior looking its best.
• Check kitchens and bathrooms for leaks. Check around your kitchen and bathroom cabinets, toilets and dishwasher for any leaks. Be sure to fix any problems you find.

As fall rolls around and school goes back in session, it’s time to cross off some items on your fall home maintenance checklist. In many areas, fall is the perfect season to work inside or outside on home maintenance. Fall is known for its moderate temperatures and moderate rainfall. Days are getting shorter before the first frost appears. So before the cold winter weather blows through, be sure to finish up these items on your fall maintenance checklist:

• Rake leaves. Rake up all the leaves from the ground and remove any leaves and debris from gutters and downspouts too.
• Cover bushes. Protect your greens from the frost by covering your bushes and winterizing your garden. If possible, bring plants inside during the cold and snowy days to protect them from damage.
• Drain sprinkler system. Drain your sprinkler system and any other outdoor water sources. Cover any pipes on the exterior of your home to prevent freezing, and drain and winterize any exterior plumbing.
• Clean the chimney. Hire a certified chimney sweep to inspect your chimney and clean out the vents.
• Check for frayed cords and wires. Avoid electrical fires by replacing any extension cords that are frayed or damaged.
• Clean the carpets. Prepare your home for holiday parties in the winter by cleaning the carpets.
• Tune up or repair major home appliances. The fall is generally a good time to repair or replace any major home appliances. Inspect your current home appliances and see if any of them could use an upgrade.
• Remove lint buildup from the dryer vent. Clean up lint buildup from the clothes dryer exhaust duct and any other vents.

Now you have everything you need to maintain a fully functional home all year round. Take some time to plan out your home maintenance schedule, and don’t forget to revisit this list at the beginning and end of each season! If your home repairs are adding up to be more expensive than you had planned, reach out to Rocket Loans^SM to help fund your home improvements.