It’s Fall, Ya’ll!

When I think of Fall, I think of …the changing color of the leaves, cooler mornings and evenings, getting dark earlier, long sleeves, and a warm fire in the evenings. However, Fall should also call for a short “To Do” list to maintain our home in the best shape possible.

As the leaves change color and start to fall, our gutters fill up and leaves cover the ground.  First on the list is raking leaves.  Leaves can stifle grass from thriving in the spring if they continue to lay on the ground.  We can also anticipate more rain and gutters clogged with leaves and debris can result in costly issues to the roof, siding, and foundation.

Next on the list before temperatures get any cooler is to walk your home inside and out looking for daylight around doors or windows.  If you can see daylight, cold air is getting into your home.  The result is increased heating costs and possibly rodents.  A mouse can get through a hole the size of a dime! Unless you’re looking for some extra guests at the table, it’s time to make sure those cracks and spaces are covered up!  Weather stripping for doors and windows can be found at your local hardware store, Walmart, Lowe’s or home improvement store.

It’s time to bring up the patio furniture and store it until spring.  Storing it will prevent it getting damaged from harsher weather and keep it clean for the next season you use it.  Feel free to leave the outdoor fireplace or firepit for marshmallow roasting and S’mores!  Those are always nice on a cool evening.

Are you on a schedule to change your filters monthly?  It’s easy to forgot to change your HVAC filters.  It’s not important to buy the most expensive filter you can find.  The cheap ones work perfectly fine.  What’s most important is changing them regularly and often.  A good rule of thumb is to set a reminder to change them the first of the month and set a reminder on your smartphone, so you don’t forget.  Fall and Spring are ideal times to get your HVAC system serviced before the temperatures reach all time lows or highs for the season.  No one wants to go without heat when the low temperatures are in the teens!

Change the battery on your smoke detectors.  We’ve just missed doing this during the time change for Daylight Savings Time.  It’s a great idea to change this twice a year when the time changes.

Lastly, the one that’s most forgotten is to clean out your dryer vent and hose.  22% of house fires start in the laundry room as a result of not cleaning out the vent or hose.  Dryer hose cleaning kits can be purchased at your local home improvement store.  You can vacuum out your dryer vent as well as your hose with a regular vacuum.  It’s a quick and easy way to make sure your family is safe.

Gail Hardy is an affiliate broker with Southland Realtors. Reviews on Gail can be found on Zillow and her business page on Facebook. She always welcomes new clients and can be reached at 865-805-3054 or email gail@southlandrealtors.com