Even if you buy a brand-new home, you still have to maintain it. With regular upkeep, you’ll be able to keep your home systems running at peak levels and avoid costly repairs. On top of that, you’ll be able to consistently provide your family with a safe, comfortable place to live.Â
At TimberCraft Homes, we want homeowners to get the best results out of their residences. As part of our efforts, we offer low-maintenance new home construction. We’ve also put together home maintenance checklists for spring, fall, winter, and summer — use our checklists below to keep your home in good shape long into the future.Â
Spring Home Maintenance Checklist
According to research, 86% of homeowners said they planned to participate in spring cleaning or were actively completing it in 2024. The top areas these homeowners focused on during their cleaning included appliance, structural, and systems maintenance. However, there were several areas homeowners admitted they should have prioritized but actually neglected, such as:
- Inspecting their roof
- Patching cracks in walls and windows
- Cleaning or clearing gutters, drains, or downspouts
- Making sure their HVAC system was working properly
In terms of spring cleaning, it pays to get outdoors and tackle large home maintenance projects. The weather warms up in spring, and the days get longer, providing homeowners with many opportunities to complete exterior property maintenance.
Now, let’s look at some of the best things you can do as part of your springtime home maintenance:
- Clean and repair downspouts and gutters.
- Inspect the roof and repair or replace any missing or damaged shingles.
- Examine the driveway and paths around your home and repair them as needed.
- Check any sprinkler and irrigation systems and adjust the heads if they are spraying into the house or onto the street.
- Remove standing water from your property.
- Examine screen doors and windows and fix any holes or tears.
- Have a licensed professional come out to service your air-conditioning system before the start of summer.
- Stain and reseal your wood deck, fence, and other woodwork (this can be done every year or every other year).
- Search for and eliminate termites.Â
- Identify and address leaks and signs of rust on your water heater.Â
Spring home maintenance is a golden opportunity to repair your home after winter and get it ready for summer. Be diligent, and you can fix up your residence and address any minor issues before they become major ones.Â
Summer Home Maintenance Checklist
You want your home to be a place you can enjoy indoors and out. With our home maintenance checklist for summer, you’ll be able to beat the heat and protect your home during the year’s warmest season.Â
Here are things you can do to maintain your home in summertime:
- Make sure any ceiling fan blades turn counterclockwise. This will help circulate cool air across your space when you’re running your AC system.Â
- Remove dust, dirt, pet hair, and other debris from the coils beneath your refrigerator.Â
- Wash the windows.Â
- Look for air leaks around doors and windows and seal them using caulking or weather stripping.Â
- Hose down your exterior AC unit.Â
- Clean your home’s siding; add a fresh coat of paint if the siding looks worn down, or repair any damage to vinyl or aluminum siding.Â
- Pressure-wash your home’s porch, driveway, and walkways.Â
- Trim bushes and shrubs, remove dead or unhealthy plants, and take care of your landscaping.Â
- Clean the exterior clothes dryer vent.Â
In addition to these things, summer is an ideal time to clean up your garage.Â
In summertime and year-round, make sure any hazardous materials stored in your garage are out of reach of children. If any of these materials are expired, dispose of them properly.Â
Also, be on the lookout for any grease spots on the floor of your garage. These may indicate the car you’re storing in your garage may be leaking fluids, so you may want to have it serviced right away. Â
Fall Home Maintenance Checklist
When autumn arrives, the days get shorter and colder. Time is limited if you want to get your home ready for winter. Fortunately, we’re here to help you make the most of the time available.
Here are fall home maintenance tips to help you prep your home for winter:
- Clean the gutters.
- Inspect the roof, check for any shingles that are cracked and damaged, and repair or replace them.Â
- Rake and remove dead leaves from your lawn.Â
- Have a licensed professional inspect your furnace, replace the filter, and perform other maintenance and repairs.Â
- If you have a fireplace, inspect it for damage and other hazards.
- If you have a chimney, have it inspected and cleaned.Â
- Evaluate your humidifier and rinse and remove any mineral deposits with steel wool or a wire brush.Â
- Inspect your stovepipes and fix any corrosion or cracks.Â
- Look for large cracks, uneven sections, and loose railings in your home’s driveway and walkways and fix these problems.Â
- Check your home’s smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and fire extinguishers and make sure they work as expected.Â
Fall may also be the perfect time to help your lawn look great in spring and summer.Â
In autumn, apply fertilizer across your lawn. This may help reduce the risk of winter damage.Â
Winter Home Maintenance Checklist
If you are worried about winter weather and its impact on your home, you’re not alone. Many homeowners struggle with frigid temperatures, snow, sleet, and other harsh weather conditions during wintertime. Regardless, our home maintenance checklist helps put you in the best position to protect against winter weather.
Here are winter home maintenance tips every homeowner needs to know:
- Change out your heating system’s filter.
- Adjust the direction of any ceiling fan blades to clockwise. This will help move warm air across your home’s floors and down its walls.Â
- Trim tree branches away from powerlines and your home’s roof.Â
- Clean the drains in your home’s sinks, bathtubs, showers, and dishwasher.
- Move any outdoor furniture indoors.Â
- Disconnect garden hoses from outdoor faucets.Â
- If you have exterior faucets with shutoff valves, turn them off.Â
- Remember to allow interior faucets to drip and keep cabinets open when temperatures drop below freezing.
Along with these things, it may be beneficial to purchase a portable generator. This will help you out if you ever lose power at your home in wintertime.
Want to Avoid Expensive, Time-Consuming Home Maintenance?
Our home maintenance checklists offer terrific starting points for those who want to buy a new residence and keep it looking and performing its best year-round.Â
We also offer new-build homes that may require less maintenance than many comparable options. Contact the home builders at TimberCraft Homes for a low-maintenance, new-build home.