Spring and Fall Home Maintenance Tips

These spring and fall Home Maintenance Tips are essential for problems not to build up. Home Maintenance can save you big money on unnecessary repairs. If you can prolong the longevity of your home with simple home maintenance tips wouldn't you? No one wants to pay for costly repairs and high electric bills. With these home maintenance tips you can save on your electric bills and improve the longevity of your home.

Spring Home Maintenance tips:

Septic System - Your septic tank should be pumped periodically. You should always take the tank lid off to check first to save a costly trip. Pumping is around $75.

Pool - Check for problems with your pool so you can have it fixed for summer. Turn all your equipment on like you were using the pool. Look for cracks in the concrete.

Fence and gates - Check for leaning in your fence or holes and verify your gate is in working order. Now is the time to paint it.

Clean gutter - Clean your gutter of debris periodically so you don't have an overflow of water and a possible leak in your house. The gutter is on your house for a reason. It keeps the water from making a moat around your house.

Check your air condition/heating system and clean it and the area around it - The home maintenance tip is essential in keeping the life in your system and helps the filter stay clean. This is also good to do in the fall.

Change or clean the filter in your inside unit - Change or clean the filter in your system. Most people don't know there units have filters until something happens to the unit. You know about the air filters in your house but do you know the unit has a separate filter. This is also good to do in the fall.

Change your air filters - Change your air filters on a monthly basis. I put this as a seasonal tip in case you don't remember to change your filter monthly. Clean around the area that the air filter is at and clean the vent. Filters are under $5 and if you buy a 3 pack they are even cheaper.

Roof - Check your roof for any leaks or loose shingles. This should be done in the fall as well.

Painting - Painting will spruce your house up on the inside or out.

Concrete Walkways - Concrete walkways get cracked over time. If your concrete is cracked you can get a concrete repair caulk for $3-$4. This is a cheap fix and will keep your concrete walkway looking good. If the crack is more than two inches the caulk isn't recommended. I have used it before and it would probably be cheaper to mix your own concrete if you have a lot of big repairs, but otherwise I didn't have a problem with the caulk.

Deck / Porch Repairs - If you are planning to refinish your deck or paint your porch, spring is a good time to do it.

Screens - Check your screens (porch or windows) for holes and make sure the screen is secure.

Fall Home Maintenance Tips:

Outside lights - Periodically make sure your lights are working properly. I put this as a fall project because if you get home around 6:00 pm you will need the lights during winter to see to get inside.

Caulk Windows - Look for cracks around the outer part of your window. Sometimes the windows need to be sealed, especially in old houses. You may be losing your heat or air around the windows. This is a simple fix on the outside of your house that also can change the appearance of the house. Buy the 50 year caulk for indoor/outdoor use. The caulk is about $3-4 and will be used in other home maintenance. If you feel cold air in the winter coming through your windows and you don't have the money to replace them just put up plastic over the windows and/or hang heavier, thicker, curtains. This can also be done in the spring.

Weather Strip Doors - If you see sunlight around your doors or feel air coming in around the door you need to put weather stripping on your door. You could spend a lot of money replacing the door and still have the same problem. Why spend $150+ when weather stripping can be purchased for under $5 and you can find it in Wal-Mart or any home repair store.

Caulk inside house around baseboards, molding, sinks, toilets, countertops - Caulking inside the house will make the house look fresh and keep unwanted bugs or air from coming in. This can also be done in the spring.