This post is sponsored by Neighborly, Your Hub for Home Services
At the beginning of the year, we always think about “spring cleaning.” But in the fall, I like to cover our home maintenance bases before we have guests or encounter cold weather. I usually like to split tasks between things we handle ourselves and things we hire to professionals.
We’ve been really pleased with the services we’ve used through Neighborly for our junk removal, mosquito treatment, plantings, and new landscape lighting (Junk Kings, Mosquito Joe, and The Grounds Guys), so we were excited to know they had more professionals who can cover your home for almost every job if you want to On service!
Keep reading for 16 home maintenance tasks that will ship your home’s ship for the season. The more you keep up with your maintenance, the fewer there will be big (and expensive) surprises in the future!
HVAC unit service.
Change your HVAC air filters and check your air ducts for mold buildup, allergens or debris once a year, usually in the spring. You should change the air filter in your HVAC system at least every 90 days on average to ensure the system runs most efficiently during the colder months. (Aire Serv has a great article on how to choose the best air filters for your specific situation.) Additionally, inspecting and cleaning your furnace will ensure your heating system is ready for cold weather. Your HVAC systems should be inspected by a professional annually. So, if you have a standard central air conditioner or furnace, both should be serviced every year. If you have a heat pump system that you use year-round, you will need to schedule this service once every 6 months.
Who to Contact: A professional HVAC team like Aire Serv can come out and do a complete evaluation and tune-up. It’s good for us to know that there’s a better chance you won’t have a heating problem in the middle of winter.
Check the stove/chimney
A clean chimney is a safe chimney. If you have a wood-burning fireplace, prevent creosote buildup and reduce the risk of a chimney fire with regular cleaning. According to the American Chimney Safety Institute, fireplaces should be cleaned as soon as there is 1/8 inch of creosote or soot buildup inside the chimney liner. According to the National Fire Protection Association, all chimneys should be cleaned at least once a year. Other ventilation systems connected to ovens and stoves should also be cleaned regularly to maintain safer operation.
If you have a gas fireplace, it may not need as much cleaning, but it’s recommended that it be serviced more frequently as well – perhaps not every year but every couple of years. Helps identify any blockage or damage to the pilot light or system.
Defrost your chest freezer
You should defrost your chest freezer at least once a year to get rid of ice buildup (especially if it’s more than 1/4 inch thick). It helps your freezer have a longer life and aids air circulation to keep your food fresh. Longer. You can do it yourself quite easily: Remove frozen items to the freezer, unplug the refrigerator, let it thaw for a while, scrape down the sides with a plastic utensil, and dry with towels. Don’t forget to plug it back in! Before filling your refrigerator and freezer with holiday treats, clean out and get rid of any old or unnecessary items to maximize space and improve energy efficiency. Group like items together using boxes or containers labeled with contents and freeze date to keep things organized.
Who to call: If during cleaning you notice that your freezer has a problem, contact the friendly team at Mr. Appliance for their expertise.
Clean your dryer vent system
Has this been on your annual cleaning to-do list? It’s time to clean the system! Sweater weather means more lint and debris that can clog your dryer vent, which can cause fires, carbon monoxide buildup, excess clothing wear, excessive energy use, and mold growth. Additionally, lint screens do not capture 100% of the lint, and lint buildup reduces airflow which puts stress on your dryer. This often goes undetected. Professional dryer vent cleaning can help prevent these problems.
Who to Call: Go with the professionals from Dryer Vent Wizard who can inspect to make sure the air is circulating properly for the best energy efficiency and help avoid mold, mildew and mildew.
Wash (and inspect) windows
Dust, dirt, fingerprints, and pollen can accumulate and reduce your home’s curb appeal or even shorten the life of your window. Clean your windows when you notice dirt or smudges, or about once a month. If you want to do it yourself, grab microfiber towels, some glass cleaner, or a vinegar/water solution, and tackle this over the weekend. This is a good time to inspect your windows for any cracks or broken seals.
Who to Contact: I like to outsource exterior design since we have a lot of tall windows – Window Genie is a great option for cleaning. As a bonus, they can also hang holiday lights and help you with the next item on your list, too! Glass Doctor can help you repair and even replace your windows if necessary.
Clean gutters
We are surrounded by large trees and pines, which can clog our gutters. It is best to clean and clear your gutters in the fall, as this is the time when there will be the greatest amount of leaves and debris to remove. By cleaning now, there is less chance of clogging in the winter when it can freeze and crack.
Who to Call: You can get this with window cleaning if you use a service like Window Genie, which is kind of like a one-stop shop for everything before hosting your vacation.
Inspecting the ice maker (and other appliances)
Your ice machine should be cleaned and sterilized at least once every six months to ensure efficient operation. This maintenance process requires that you first perform a cleaning procedure to remove limescale and mineral deposits, followed by a sanitization procedure to disinfect the unit and remove algae and mud.
Who to Call: If you notice a problem with your ice machine, contact Mr. Appliance to evaluate your device’s performance.
Aerate and fertilize the yard
Fall is when yards like ours with fescue or bluegrass in Kentucky need to be aerated, watered and watered for best results. You will also need to add fertilizer in early fall and late fall. You can fertilize zoysia and Bermuda grasses in early fall to help them store nutrients but not later, because you don’t want to stimulate too much growth that frost might damage.
Who to Call: The folks at Lawn Pride and The Grounds Guys know yards inside and out, and can take care of your yard quickly so you can enjoy more time with family and friends.
Clean carpets
You should clean your carpets about once a year to reduce dust, pet dander, air allergens, and other pollutants. Admittedly, we are not there yet. We like to replace our rugs a few times a year, so this would be a great time to clean them before storing them in the attic. Non-jute rugs can use hot water extraction services that you can hire yourself from a grocery store or home improvement store. Jute rugs can go to a professional or you can find a dry shampoo for carpets!
Prepare your irrigation system for winter
It is important to drain and shut down the irrigation or sprinkler system in cold areas once you have finished watering for the season. There are two ways to do this depending on what type of irrigation you have. If you don’t feel comfortable winterizing it yourself, you can call an irrigation professional who can get the job done faster than you can following the steps on YouTube.
Who to Call: If you notice any clogged nozzles, leaks, or broken sprinkler heads, The Grounds Guys can help you make repairs.
Check smoke and carbon dioxide alarms
The U.S. Fire Administration recommends testing smoke alarms monthly, while other sources recommend testing them twice a year. To remember, consider including this chore in your annual spring cleaning and fall maintenance lists or planning for the beginning and end of daylight saving time. Carbon monoxide detectors should be tested monthly. Furthermore, most smoke alarms need to be completely replaced every 10 years, while most carbon dioxide detectors need to be replaced every 5 to 7 years. Again, follow the manufacturer’s instructions on your devices to confirm.
Who to Contact: Mr. Electric can help you install and inspect your appliances. And if you’ve already had another service, it includes a free home electrical safety check – which includes checking all your smoke/carbon alarms to make sure they’re working as they should.
Get a preventative pest control inspection
It’s a good time of year to hire a professional to clear out rodents, fire ants, wasps and a lot of pests that might want to stay warm when cold temperatures arrive.
Who to Contact: Mosquito Joe controls pests around foundations, walls, doorways and window frames that we plan to take out before the winter months.
Turn on the water heater relief valve
Test the water heater pressure relief value to ensure water is flowing from the overflow valve. Also, the submersible pump should be tested for proper operation. The pressure relief valve should be checked periodically, and the tank should be flushed at least once a year to remove any built-up sediment. If the valve is defective or stuck, it must be replaced immediately.
Who to Call: Mr. Rooter Plumbing has professionals who can take a look if you notice anything wrong and complete plumbing maintenance or a thorough cleaning.
Inspect and repair roofs and fences
If you see any damage or issues with your roof or fence, now is a good time to nip it in the bud before it gets worse with ice, snow or wind. We have a fence to keep our dog in and an enclosed pool, so we like to take advantage of this time when the hydrangea bushes are bare to look at the building. You can make any repairs yourself if you are handy or leave it to the professionals.
Who to Contact: A handyman is a great resource for help with deck or fence repair.
Get your garage door inspected
This is something you probably haven’t thought about – honestly it seems like garage doors don’t go unnoticed until a) you paint them or b) they stop working. If you want to have better chances of extending the life of your door, perform an annual garage door inspection. This is the perfect season to do this, because who wants to defrost their windshield early in the morning?!
Who to Call: Precision Garage Door Service can perform an inspection that ensures your door is operating safely and catches any malfunctions before they cause chaos.
Perform seasonal shrub maintenance and tree pruning
This is the one thing Chris doesn’t mind doing at our house, but if there’s a taller tree with some dead branches hanging off it, I usually rush in and call a professional. If you have shrubs that need to be trimmed in the fall, choose a day to get out the shears and get your planting in order.
Who to Contact: I have the number for The Grounds Guys saved in my phone after they did an amazing job adding new plants and tidying up our backyard earlier this year.
Bonus: If it’s been a while since you moved in, and you want someone to take a thorough look at your home for anything that needs attention — from roofing and plumbing to HVAC and electrical, schedule a home maintenance inspection by HouseMaster.
And that’s it! These are the 16 fall home maintenance things we have on our checklist for our home. We would love to be able to handle some of these ourselves, and outsource to professionals. We use Neighborly for a lot of services because it’s so easy to schedule, the people are friendly, and we’ve enjoyed all the projects they’ve done for us. The quality of their work is absolutely exceptional, and we recommend them to everyone we know!
