You’ll want to clean your carpets in the fall to get rid of all the grime and build up that occurred over the summer. It’s still warm enough to leave your windows open so that your carpets can dry faster. Before you do this you’ll want to test your carpet cleaner on a small patch to make sure that it doesn’t discolor or damage your rug.

It’s best to fill sidewalk cracks in the fall because melted snow can seep into these cracks in the winter and freeze over. This causes your cracks to expand and heave your sidewalk concrete. You should fill your sidewalk cracks when its above 50 degrees. If you do it when it’s too cold your concrete sealant won’t adhere correctly which can cause leaks and cracks.

When the leaves start falling they can end up clogging your gutters. When the weather gets colder this build up can freeze solid and destroy your gutters and potentially do damage to your home. So, you’ll want to unclog these gutters once the leaves have fallen.

Since there is less light during the winter, your lights will be on longer. Make sure you switch out your light bulbs to energy-efficient ones to reduce your electric bill.

Your lawn still needs water during the fall to be lush and healthy. So, you don’t want to turn off your sprinklers too early. Wait until the first weather report of freezing temperatures before you turn them off.

The siding of your home can become covered with grime and bugs after a long summer. So, you’ll want to get it completely clean with water pressure. You just have to make sure that your machine has a wide spray and isn’t too powerful to damage your siding.

Trees and shrubbery can grow rapidly over the summer, so you’ll want to do some pruning when the time is right. Many people think to start this as soon as fall starts but that’s not the case. Never prune a tree before it’s dormant. You can seriously damage a tree if you prune it while it still has leaves on it. You’ll want to hold off on this until early winter.

Fall is the perfect time to touch up your exterior with a new paint job. The cooler weather can cause further damage to cracks in the paint so you’ll want to get to it in the fall. Just don’t paint on a windy day.

Fall is the time to patch holes, caulk up gaps, and make sure your windows and doors aren’t drafty. This will help keep you and your family warm and your heating bill down in the winter.

When fall comes around you’ll want to make sure that your house is properly insulated before the cooler temperatures set in. Fall is the perfect time to add extra insulation. Just be sure that you’re not covering up any of your soffit vents as they maintain the flow of fresh air into your attic.

Since you will already be changing the time on your clocks, you might as well use this time to change all of the batteries in your fire and carbon monoxide alarms to keep your family safe.

You’ll want to make sure that your furnace is working in optimal condition before you need to use it. In addition, you’ll want to clean and or replace your furnace filters. This will help your furnace to work properly.

Winter is the time when we use our fireplaces. Creosote can build up in your fireplace’s flue and lead to a chimney fire so you’ll want to make sure that you have your chimney cleaned out properly in the fall.

Winters can be harsh on your roof as it will dump heavy snow and ice onto it. It’s best to make sure your roof’s structural integrity is intact and that repairs are made if necessary in the fall. Just never reuse roofing materials. This can sabotage your repair efforts and increase damage to your roof.

You’ll live in your home for a long time. Take your time and really think through your interior decor plan. There’s no need to rush, and if you do a hasty job, it could cost you a lot more money in the long run. Additionally, if you take more time, then there will be fewer changes down the road.

Critters like mice and other animals will be seeking shelter from the cold, so you’ll want to make sure you seal any potential entrance ways and gaps to keep them out.

While you can get carried away with what’s going on inside your home during the year, don’t forget to consistently maintain the backyard and patio. Just as you don’t want problems to accumulate over time indoors, you don’t want it to happen outdoors. Keep the outside routinely maintained.

As a homeowner, it’s often easy to forget to turn off the power when doing electrical work such as replacing a light fixture or light bulb. We often like to rush through these tasks, but by not turning off the power, we’re increasing the risk of real injury or danger happening.

Some of the biggest pains homeowners deal with include fire and water damage. While water damage is generally thought of as flood waters or heavy rain, don’t forget that leaky water problems can occur in the laundry room. Don’t forget to pay attention to your washer and dryer when using them.

As a homeowner, energy costs are an important thing to think about. Your monthly energy bill can fluctuate, and for most homeowners, it’s never fully optimized. Common culprits homeowners often overlook are windows and doors. Warm heat can escape through doors and windows that aren’t fully sealed.

Don’t forget to use your bathroom and laundry vent fans – they are there for a reason! Fans should always be used to avoid water vapor into the drywall, electrical outlets, and framing.

Don’t let your sprinkler heads spray against the home. This can lead to rotted walls and color leaching from the exterior walls. In some cases, it can even result in movement of the foundation.

Sump pumps are the last line of defense for any flooding, condensation build-up, and water from drains. They are often found in the basement and should be tested every 6 months. You can also purchase an automatic leak detector.

If you have a basement, window wells are perfect for letting in a bit of natural light and providing extra ventilation. But, if they’re not looked after, they can put your basement at serious risk. Leaves and debris could clog them, creating pressure on your windows if it rains. Be sure to clear out blockages regularly.

Mice like to nest in places like A/C units, garden machinery, and near electrical wiring. It can be extremely dangerous if they do. Be sure to check these areas regularly for any mice that have settled in.

With each use, more and more lint builds up in your dryer’s vent. Not only is it making your dryer less efficient, taking longer to dry your clothes, but it’s also a hazard for a house fire. Be sure to routinely remove the lint from the vent at the back of the dryer, as well as the vacuum area.

Termites can be a serious threat to your home and its foundation. They’ll most likely prefer your basement as they can’t survive in sunlight. Use spray foam to plug any gaps where they could possibly enter your home. Use a screwdriver to poke the wood in your home to check for weakness. If it’s flaky or rotting, you’ll need to call a professional.

Every home should have a fire extinguisher on every floor. Every few months, be sure to inspect it to ensure it’s in working order. To do this, make sure: it’s accessible, the safety seals are intact, the pressure gauge is in a normal range, and check for damage (dents, corrosion, etc.). Be sure to document your inspections with a date.

Refrigerator coils are what the fridge uses to cool down. Over time, grease, dust, and dirt can get stuck to the coils behind the fridge. This insulation will cause your fridge to be less efficient and work harder to get cold. Unplug your fridge, pull it away from the wall, and use the brush attachment of your vacuum to clean the coils.

Radiators are very low maintenance but you should still bleed them every winter to make sure they’re running at their full capacity and efficiency. To do this, release the valve and hold a rag underneath to catch any drips. You should be able to hear air seeping out. As soon as the sound stops, tighten and close the valve.

If you do a lot of frying, hood filters can become clogged with grease very quickly. It’s not very fun to clean but it has to be done. Here’s how: pop the filter out, place in a bucket with boiling water and 1/4 cup of baking soda with a squirt of dish soap. Submerge the filter for 10 minutes, scrub clean, and leave out to dry.

If there’s a bathroom that’s not used very often, grime can build up in the pipes and faucets. Be sure to turn on the sinks and flush the toilets at least once every 3 months to prevent clogging.

Make sure your garbage disposal stays in perfect working order with regular maintenance. After every use, run the machine with running cold water and a little bit of dish soap. You can also toss in a lemon or orange every few months. The citric acid will break up any grease build-up, plus–it smells good!

Toilets are the biggest culprit for water leaks, and they aren’t obvious to detect. Here’s how you can: remove the lid on the toilet tank, drop in a few drops of food coloring, and replace the lid. Wait 15 minutes then check to see if any of the coloring is now in the toilet bowl. If so, you have a leak and need to replace the flapper.

Icicles can tear off your gutters, rip off your shingles, and hurt someone if they fall off. Ice dams also can be a sign of a problem with your home’s insulation. If the heating is reaching the roof and melting snow, you need better insulation.

Keep your electrical circuitry running smoothly by doing routine checks. Lula Life says “You can use a multimeter to test power flow through just about any kind of electrical circuitry. Extension cords, wall sockets, you name it. If you don’t have a multimeter, they only cost around $20 and can save you a ton of headaches. Use the tool to test your appliances, including the power flow through any type of heating systems you may have.”

Come the springtime, you’ll probably want to kick on those ceiling fans again. But since they’ve been sitting all winter, you’ll definitely want to clean them first so you’re entire home doesn’t end up covered in dust. To do this, spread an old sheet on the floor to catch any dirt you wipe off. Spray an old pillowcase with a mixture of water and two tablespoons of distilled white vinegar Wrapping each blade with the pillowcase, slide off the grime then wipe with a dry cloth!

Window screens can get easily torn, but luckily, they’re very easy to repair as well. Head to the hardware store and pick up some new screen material. Remove the old screen with a screwdriver and replace it using a screen rolling tool. Just trim off the excess and you’re good to go. Here’s a video tutorial.

Mildew and grime can build up on your unused deck during the winter and wet spring months. When summer approaches, be sure to give it a good cleaning to prevent any rot or dangerous slips. Using a pressure washer is the best way to go.

If the auto-reverse setting on your automatic garage door isn’t working properly, it can be very dangerous. Especially if you have kids around the house. Inspect US recommends putting a tube of cardboard underneath the door and closing it. If the door crumples the cardboard at all, the force is too great. Consult your owner’s manual to re-calibrate the mechanism.

Every year in the fall, you should flush your water heater to remove sediment build-up. Turn your water heater off at the breaker, turn off the cold water valve to your heater, turn on hot water from a faucet, attach a hose to the drain valve and run the hose to a bucket. Open the drain valve and repeat until the water in the bucket is clear, not cloudy.

If you have water from rain or snow meltage constantly running into the ground by your foundation, this can cause some serious structural issues. Be sure to divert the drainpipes away from the foundation by at least 3 feet.

During the winter months, you’ll rarely need to use your outdoor faucets. Be sure to winterize them to prevent a bursting pipe. To do this, disconnect all hoses from faucets. Turn off the water supply from inside the house and drain excess water from all the faucets.

After the harsh winter months, you might notice that snow or ice’s freeze-thaw action created cracks in your driveway. It’s best to fix those right away before they get worse after the next winter.

You can wreck your fixtures and appliances if your home’s water pressure is too high. Checking the pressure is often an overlooked maintenance item but it’s very important. A good pressure should be around 75lbs PSI. If it’s higher, you might want to replace your pressure-reducing valve.

You’ll want to clean your windows’ weep holes routinely to prevent rainwater from coming into your house. According to the Family Handyman, “To see if your weep system is working, simply pour a glass of water into the track or spray the outside of the window with a garden hose. If you don’t see a steady stream of clean water exiting the weep hole, poke a wire hanger into the hole, or spray it out with compressed air, and wet it down again. If the little flapper (designed to keep out driving wind) is stuck shut, it can be removed with a putty knife and replaced.”

Lubing your garage door springs will help make them last much longer. Coat the overhead torsion springs above the roller tracks with garage door lubricant. Be sure to lube the rollers, hinges, and track as well.

During winter, your wood patio furniture took a beating from the elements. Be sure to give it a good sanding before you start to use it again to prevent any painful splinters or cuts.

You should need to add salt to your water softener too often, but you should at least check it every month. If there is a layer of salt on top, you could be using low-quality salt or salt that is too coarse. Simply break it apart and switch to higher-quality salt in the future.

“Getting it serviced by a professional should be around $100 or less, and it will save money and headaches down the road,” says Art of Manliness when referring to a central A/C system. But if you just have a window unit, refer to the owner’s manual on how to do basic repairs and give it a good look-over every summer.