Spring brings an hour of extra daylight, and along with that, warmer temperatures. So you probably noticed that with all the snow cover gone, small (but essential) maintenance issues around your home may have also been uncovered. Don’t ignore them!
While it’s tempting to want to sit on the patio or deck and soak up all the bright sunshine, crossing off as many of these essential tasks as you can now will maximize how much leisure time you’ll have during our quickly approaching summer.
More importantly, if you’re thinking of selling your home this year, tackling these tasks will not only increase your home’s curb appeal, they also have the potential to increase your return on investment (ROI) whenever you decide to sell.
The way your home looks from the outside — or its curb appeal — gives potential home buyers their first impression of the property even before they step inside. This is why exterior maintenance and renovations that help boost curb appeal are important, since the appearance of a home’s exterior can give the buyer a sense of what they can expect to find once they walk through the front door.
In other words, if your home’s exterior presents itself well, the yard is nicely kept, the paint is vibrant, the siding is aging well, and the roof is in good shape, prospective buyers could be more inclined to look inside if they like what they see on the outside.
But you don’t have to spend big bucks on making your home’s exterior look good. Yes, new windows and doors are a significant boost to its value, but you don’t have to go that far. Instead of spending thousands, you can spend under $50 for a can of paint to freshen up the trim and doors.
Here are the top six spring maintenance tips you should tackle now, either by yourself or by hiring a pro.
Inspect your home’s exterior and roof
Number one on any spring maintenance checklist is inspecting the outside of your home for any storm damage.
Your house likely took a beating during our harsh winter with its big temperature fluctuations. Avoid nasty surprises — like a leaky roof — by giving everything a once-over now.
It’s important to always inspect your home regularly for any potential damage, especially in the spring or after a big weather event. You should check the exterior including the roof for water leaks, storm damage, or anything else that might need repairs.
DIY route: If you feel comfortable climbing a ladder, you can easily inspect your home’s exterior.
Call in the pros: Are you concerned about climbing onto the roof? Find a local roofing company that can help. They will assess your roof for free. If you need any painting done that you can’t manage on your own, hire someone to do it for you.
Check for water leaks in the basement
What’s good for the outside of your home is also imperative for the inside’s darkest corners. It’s time to journey into the basement and look for water leaks or musty odours indicating moisture problems.
Homeowners commonly neglect this important task, but it’s crucial to catch any potential problems early before they become more significant issues later on.
DIY route: Start by inspecting the walls and floor for any signs of moisture or water stains. Check for dampness or puddles in corners and along the baseboards. Examine pipes, joints and connections for signs of dripping or pooling water.
Call in the pros: If you find water you cannot quickly stop from entering your home, call in a pro. Unchecked water damage in the basement can lead to foundation issues.
Reseal and reset driveways and paths
Driveways and paths are another vital part of our homes that degrade during the long winter months. These areas need to be resealed every few years to protect against inevitable corrosion.
Our freeze-thaw cycle is tough on asphalt, concrete and other hardscaping materials. Once the snow is gone, you should walk around your yard to investigate damages to the paths, walkways and driveways. It’s also common for cracking and heaving to have occured during the winter. Sometimes pavers will settle back down once the ground frost is gone, but if not, and they’re an unsightly and dangerous tripping hazard, consider resetting them.
Call in the pros: Resealing a driveway or resetting pavers isn’t rocket science, but getting the job done well and making sure it lasts takes time and experience. We recommend calling in the pros if you’re at all unsure about tackling these jobs yourself.
Get your chimney cleaned
If you use anything that burns wood to keep you cozy during the chilliest time of the year, you should schedule to have it checked at the end of every season.
Fireplaces and wood-burning stoves are lovely additions to any home, but they need to be properly cleaned and maintained to function safely. A dirty fireplace can cause dangerous creosote buildup which could lead to a chimney fire.
Buildup can also occur in wood-burning stoves and cause them to not function efficiently. If you start to notice that there seems to be less oxygen flow within your stove, it might be time to call in a professional chimney sweep.
Call in the pros: Unless you have the safety equipment to climb onto your roof and clean the chimney safely, it’s best to leave this to the professionals. They know how to do the job correctly, and with the least amount of mess.
Clear gutters and downspouts
Neglecting all the organic material that built up in your gutters over the past few months could result in significant structural damage to your home — so it’s best to check them as soon as the snow is gone.
Well maintained rain gutters (or eavestroughs) are the first and most important defense against water damage to a home. Gutters and downspouts should be checked and cleaned regularly to prevent clogging. Pay particular attention to the outlet (the hole in the gutter at the top of the downspout) where most clogs originate. You also want to make sure that your downspouts are pointing away from your house and are long enough to redirect runoff away from your foundation.
DIY route: If you can handle being on a ladder, you can easily tackle cleaning the gutters yourself.
Spiff up the yard and garden
Spring is the time to clean up all the random bits and garbage that landed in your yard and garden from winter storms. You want to remove all the debris left over from last year, like leaves and branches, and whatever new debris occured over the winter. This helps prepare your lawn and garden beds for healthy new growth. This includes pruning back any broken or dead branches from your trees and shrubs, and raking up thatch from your grass if the ground is dry enough.
You can hire a landscaping company to do these tasks for you, but the sense of accomplishment, not to mention the great physical workout you’ll get by doing it yourself, will make it worthwhile.
By accomplishing these six tasks now, you’ll be relaxing on your patio in no time! And if you’re thinking of selling your home, these are six less items you’ll have to get done before calling a REALTOR® and putting your house on the market.
— REALTOR.com