Is summer over already? It’s hard to believe that fall has settled in and the days are getting cooler and darker. As I sit and write this article, it’s raining and grey outside which makes it for a perfect cozy up by the fire kind of day to share some of my thoughts on fall preparation with you.
Your home is likely your largest investment and requires ongoing upkeep and maintenance to increase its market value. Without ongoing maintenance, your home will very quickly show its wear and tear and you will not be able to get the value that you would seek when it comes time for you to sell.
Most people devote much of the home maintenance to the popular Spring Cleaning season. However, it is equally important to give your home the same level of attention in the fall to ensure that it can endure the harsh winter season.
Alert! The Farmer’s Almanac calls for an extreme 2021/2022 winter season with colder than normal temperatures and lots of wet snow.
As part of your Fall Cleaning, here are 5 areas of your home you should pay special attention to:
- Eves trough
- Fall brings with it a lot of shedding of leaves. Once most of the leaves have shed, clean the eaves trough of all of the leaves and debris collected over the summer season. A clogged eaves trough will not be able to redirect water away from your house. For this reason, it may cause unnecessary and very expensive damage and can compromise the foundation of your home over time.
- Reseal/paint
- Do a thorough inspection of the interior and exterior of your home, especially windows and doorways. Re-seal these areas to ensure you keep the heat in over the winter season so that you’re not actually wasting money heating the outside.
- If your siding, widows and shutters are showing signs of wear, give it a new coat of good outdoor paint and seal. The fluctuating weather and moisture is paint’s biggest enemy and therefore requires maintenance. Don’t wait until for the damage to become a costly repair.
- If you have a brick or stone exterior, check to make sure that there are no cracks and seal any that are showing the beginning of one. Winter rain and melting snow can thaw and freeze over the winter season. As water freezes, it expands and will make those hairline cracks much bigger by spring.
- Purge
- I recommend 2 major purges each year to my clients as part of my home organization plan. Once in the spring and once in the fall. It’s just a natural time of year as we switch over our clothes for the season. Make it a day for the family to have some fun. Get everyone to try on their clothes and purge ones that no longer fit, that was not worn once this past season and ones that are damaged. It’s amazing how much you can get rid of with just this simple act. Our daughter usually has fun trying on both clothes that no longer fit her as well as her dad’s clothes which are much too big for her. I also get such a great feeling when I donate the gently used items to families whom I know need it and can benefit so much more from them then us just holding onto them. Each season, I donate anywhere between 2-4 large bags of clothing to local charities like the Blue Door and Canadian Diabetes Clothes Line Program.
- Clean furnace
- Your home will be closed pretty much for about 5 months. Cleaning the furnace filter and duct will ensure better air quality in your home over the winter months and prevent any allergic reactions to dust. This is particularly important if you have anyone with respiratory conditions like asthma.
- Pictures of outside
- If you are considering selling your home in the early spring, I recommend that you take some good quality photos of the exterior of your home while there is still colour on the trees, plants and grass. As 98% of people view homes online first before considering booking an appointment to see it in person, it’s important that you show them what the curb appeal will look like once all the snow has melted and the plants and trees are in bloom again. People buy a home as much for the home as the neighborhood and curb appeal, so make sure you keep these beautiful images handy in case it’s a long winter.
The more care and attention you give to your home on an ongoing basis, less expensive it will be to maintain and the greater its value will be when you plan to pass it onto another family. Have a wonderful fall season.
About iSO Design™
iSO Design™ offers professional home appeal solutions in the Greater Toronto Area and surrounding areas. Whether your home improvement goal is to live, love or sell iSO Design makes it easy and will help you get there quickly, effectively and on budget. We’ll give you peace of mind – and the WOW factor you’re looking for. For information on our redesign, home staging or home organization services, visit isodesign.ca or call (416)-993-0131
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