Now that spring is here (or near) in many parts of the country, it's time to start thinking about a spring tune-up for the interior and exterior of your home. As the saying goes, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." If you follow these tips every spring, you'll be sure to help prevent expensive repairs needed in and around your home. In addition, you'll be keeping your home value up. You'll also feel good about how clean and less cluttered your home looks and feels.
Lawn and Garden Care
Lawn and garden care tops the list of homeowner tips for spring. The website scotts.com recommends aerating and dethatching your lawn every couple years. Applying fertilizer and weed treatments every spring goes a long way when preparing for an award-winning lawn. Your neighbors will thank you too. It's also important to trim tree branches that are hanging over sidewalks, the street and your roof as falling tree branches can cause damage. Pruning and trimming bushes away from your house will not only give it a manicured look, but it may prevent damage to your siding. It's also important to trim because sometimes insects and critters use branches as a bridge to enter your home.
Hook Hoses Back Up
When you're sure there won't be any more temperatures below freezing, it's time to hook your hoses back up. Be sure not to hook them up if there's still a chance for freezing temperatures, as that's a recipe for frozen and bursting pipes. You'll need your hoses in good working order for more exterior spring cleaning.
Power Wash
When it comes to power washing, start at the top and go down. Give your roof a soft power wash to remove any dirt or mildew. Power wash siding to get the dirt and mildew off as well. It's worth the effort to power wash all concrete surfaces such as your driveway, walkways, front porch, wood fences, patio and sidewalks. You won't believe the difference it makes to have clean concrete surfaces.
Wash Windows
Wash your windows, inside and out. You'll love how sparkling clean they look. It's much nicer to look out clean windows than it is dirty ones.
Treat For Insects
The website pestlockdown.com cites that carpenter ants, termites, bark beetles, wood borers and powderpost beetles love to come out in the spring. These wood-boring insects can do damage to wood over time, so it's important to treat them each year. Many times their main nests are outside and their satellite nests are inside. It's important to find their nests and treat them all.
Sealcoat Asphalt Driveways
Sealcoating your asphalt driveway each year will extend its life. Doing so will help prevent crumbling and cracking. Your driveway will look pleasing in appearance.
Clean Your Garage
Springtime is a great time to sweep the dirt, leaves and other debris out of your garage. If you live in an area of the country that gets snow and ice, hose out the winter road salt that's in your garage. The salt is bad for your garage floor. If you take everything out of your garage to clean it, go through it and get rid of the old junk.
HVAC Spring Tune-Up
Spring is a good time to have your furnace and air conditioner cleaned and checked. A professional HVAC company can do this correctly. Be sure to have the outside central air conditioner unit cleaned too. Trim away any bushes or long grass that's growing too close to the outside unit.
Clear Out the Old
Spring is the perfect time for giving the inside of your home a good old-fashioned "spring cleaning." Go through closets and rooms so you can donate old clothing and other items you don't use anymore.
Spring is the season of new beginnings as the earth seems to come to life again. If you take care of your home each spring, you'll help optimize your home value.
