Fall home preparation checklist

Raking

Taking care of your home each year helps to prevent damage from Wisconsin’s changing seasons.  Put these on your to-do list to keep your home in working order over the winter:

1. Chimney cleaning. Before you have a fire in the fireplace, it is a good idea to have your chimney looked at each year.

2. Check windows and doors.  Recaulk as needed and add new weatherstripping around doors if needed to keep the cold air out.

3. Lawn and landscape. Fall is a great time to seed grass because the temperatures are moderate. Now is also a good time to trim bushes so that they will look great in spring. 

4. Keep your gutters clean. In Wisconsin, you never know when the first snowfall will come. Make sure you clean your gutters regularly so that rain and melting snow can drain.

5. Prune. Take a walk around your house and look for any branches that may be growing a bit too close to the house.  Consider pruning these branches before mother nature has the opportunity to do it for you.

6. Patios and decks: restain or powerwash. Also, begin storing outdor living items like patio table umbrellas, seat cushions and flower pots.

7. Change your furnace filter to boost efficiency. 

8. Smoke Alarms. Check these throughout your house to make sure the batteries still work.

9. Store the lawnmower and test the snow blower to make sure it works before you really need it.

Homeowning has its chores, but are worth it to keep you home in tip top shape. Small problems can become big ones if not caught early. If such fall chores aren’t for you, consider buying a condo where someone else does the work for you. You can find condos and all things Wisconsin real estate at firstweber.com. Here’s an earlier article about buying condos in Wisconsin.

Have a great fall and enjoy the crisp weather! Thanks for reading the First Weber Wisconsin real estate & Wisconsin living blog for a fall home preparation checklist.

 photo credit http://www.flickr.com/photos/snickerpuss/290909010/

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