Your Fall Home Maintenance Checklist

I wish the only thing you needed to prep your home for Fall is to light a bunch of pumpkin spice candles. While yes, that is a crucial part of getting ready for the change of seasons, there are more important preparations that come with being a homeowner. Follow our list below and be prepared. 

Regularly clean gutters and downspouts. Make sure all drainage areas are unblocked by leaves and debris. Consider installing gutter guards to make the job a lot easier.

Inspect your roof, or hire a licensed professional to examine your roof for wear and tear. If the shingles are curling, buckling or crackling, replace them. If you have a lot of damage, it's time to replace the entire roof. Also, check the flashing around skylights, pipes and chimneys. If you have any leaks or gaps, heavy rain will find its way in.

The most important maintenance for a homeowner to do in the fall would be trimming the dead out of trees.  

Seal gaps where critters could enter. Mice need only a tiny gap to be able to sneak into your house and raid your pantry — and with colder weather coming, all of the little critters out there will be looking for warm places to make a home.

Test smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors; replace batteries as needed.

Clean dryer vents. Lint buildup in dryer vents can make your dryer work less efficiently and even cause a fire — cool, dry fall weather increases static electricity, which can ignite lint that has built up, so now is a key time to get that lint out.

Schedule a chimney cleaning and heating system maintenance. Making sure your chimney and furnace or boiler are cleaned, maintained and in working order before you need to turn on the heat is an important safety measure. And be sure to add a chimney cap if you don’t already have one — it will stop critters from crawling down your chimney!