Home maintenance is key to help keep your property clean, safe and in its best condition. And as each season in Northeastern Pennsylvania brings us different weather conditions, we want our homes to be well-prepared to face the impending seasonal changes without any damage or destruction. As we get ready for fall and continue into winter, and to help homeowners from falling behind, we’ve accumulated the most important interior and exterior tasks to check off your Fall home maintenance list!

▢ Check Doors and Windows for Gaps
The weather stripping around your windows and doors is what keeps cold air out and warm air in during colder months or vice versa during warmer months. Over time, it is possible for this to deteriorate, compress, or become worn out. If you can see any physical damage to your weather stripping, or see gaps, spaces, or lighting shining in around any of your windows and doors, this is a sign it needs to be replaced. This is a guaranteed way to help create more heating efficiency and save on your heating bill. Meanwhile, it also prevents any small animals, such as mice, from entering your property.

▢ Clean Out Gutters and Inspect the Roof
After the trees have shed their leaves for the season, it is highly recommended to clean out gutters and downspouts of leaves, sticks, tree bark, and dirt. With buildup, it will cause blockage of water through your gutters causing leaking, pooling and overflow. The stalling of proper water flow can cause damage to your roof, gutters, housing exterior, and possibly your foundation. By cleaning out your gutters and inspecting your roof for any missing shingles while you’re on the ladder, short term and long term damage can be avoided.

If your home has gutter guards, it is still important to check they are all intact, functioning properly and the debris aren’t covering the guards. 

▢ Store Summer Items
As the seasons are changing, the necessary outdoor items are changing with it. Now is the time to store your summer items, these include: patio furniture, pool supplies and equipment, yard games, umbrellas or canopies, hammocks, planters, even your lawn mower, along with other items. For ideal use next summer season, storing them away for the colder months will help protect them from potential damage due to weather.

▢ Shutoff Exterior Water
Do you have an exterior hose spigot? If you do, we highly suggest turning off the water supply to them along with draining and removing attached hoses and storing them for the season. Some homes have frost-free exterior faucets, but if you don’t or aren’t sure if you do, consult with your plumber of choice or drain the water lines to prevent freezing. Lastly, ensure the hose bibs are closed tightly. 

▢ Handling AC Units
Whether you have window air conditioning units (removable or not) or a central air conditioning unit, there is maintenance required. A central air conditioning unit simply can be covered up along with a window unit that cannot be removed. If possible, insulating wrap is best for non-removable window units. If you have a window unit that can be removed, we suggested doing so before the temperatures drop too low.

▢ Maintain Chimney and Heating System
As a homeowner, our number one responsibility should be ensuring all our systems are in proper working order especially if you plan on putting your home on the market in the near future. Now is the time to get a HVAC system inspection. With many local companies focused on servicing HVAC, have a qualified HVAC mechanic inspect your system to ensure it's ready to heat your home all winter.

Additionally, hire a professional to inspect your fireplace, wood stove, and wood burning fireplace chimneys prior to the start of the season. A professional may suggest a chimney cleaning to keep your home safe while staying warm. You can find more important chimney safety resources from the Chimney Safety Institute of America here.

▢ Rake Leaves
Last but certainly not least, rake up your leaves. Rake, leaf blower, lawn mower attachment, or whatever method you prefer, you don’t want to ignore the falling leaves for too long. With long term effects, sitting leaves over the colder months can have a negative impact on your spring grass growth. 

Before getting caught up in all the fun fall activities NEPA has to offer, our REALTORS highly encourage setting aside a few days or a weekend to conquer our checklist that way you will be best prepared for the months ahead!