Fall Is Coming – Is Your Home Ready

Part 2

So you’ve stuck with us through part 1; welcome to part 2 of preparing your home as fall approaches. Some of the exterior items you may want to hire a professional to handle. For me, many on the list I’m personally going to have a professional do. I don’t know about you but I’m not getting on a ladder and cleaning gutters. That’s not to say that you can’t. Heights just aren’t my thing. Remember to stay tuned to part 3.

Exterior Maintenance

Check your roof. There are a few ways to check your roof. First, you can use binoculars, if you have a drone you can use that, or you can contact a roofing professional. Many roofing professionals will come out and do a visual inspection for a low cost or possibly free. Just make sure to use a reputable company. During your inspection, you’re looking for missing, damaged, or loose shingles. If you’re not sure what this looks like, you can search on YouTube.

Chimney and fireplace. Wood burning fireplaces are great and provide lots of heat. However, they do need to be maintained. So, keep your family and home safe by having your chimney cleaned and inspected by a professional. Not only do you want to make sure the structure is sound, but you want to make sure it’s clean. The cleanings cut down on chimney fires and you make sure it’s free of wildlife. Yes, I did say wildlife. It’s a great place for vermin to take up residence.

Firewood. If you heat with firewood make sure to order enough firewood for the season. No matter if you gather your own or purchase it, make sure it’s dry and ready. It’s best to cover the firewood and store it away from the house for safety reasons.

Inspect siding. The siding of your home is going to take a beating no matter where you live. You have heat in the summer as well as rain, hail and wind just to mention a few. Plus don’t forget about wildlife that’s native to your area. So, you’re going to be looking for any cracks, holes and any type of damage that may have developed. If you find damage, you may be able to repair them yourself or hire a professional. Just determine if it’s something you can tackle.

Clean the gutters. Hire a service to clear your gutters or do it yourself, but stay safe if you decide to tackle it yourself. During the cleaning process, remove leaves, nests, and debris from gutters and check for leaks.

Check the water drainage. Water draining away from the home and foundations is very important. Make sure all rainwater downspouts are clear of obstructions and direct water away from foundations, walkways, and driveways. Add extensions to downspouts if necessary.

Reinforce windows and doors. For homes that have storm windows and doors, you’re going to remove screens and install your storm windows and doors if you use them. Check the caulk and seals around all doors and windows, repair if needed.

Turn off faucets and store hoses. During the off-season, your not going to need your garden hoses. Disconnect them from the outside spigots and drain. Shut off exterior faucets, and if you have an older home, you may need to turn off the valve inside your home. If you’ve never done this before, no worries, YouTube is there for you. It has everything as you probably know. Now, you’re probably saying what about these hoses, just store them in a dry place so any residual water won’t freeze.

Service sprinklers and irrigation system. For properties with these systems, they may need to be drained and checked depending on your climate. Have a professional perform any necessary repairs and mark sprinkler heads near snow removal areas.

Delana Cotton servers the northeast Atlanta region that includes Dacula, Winder, Lawrenceville, Buford, Snellville, Conyers and surrounding areas. Delana treats every transaction as if she were you, the buyer or seller. If you have a real estate transaction on the horizon, meet Delana for a no pressure chat over coffee.