Essential Fall Home Maintenance Checklist

It seems like the summer has flown by this year! It’s hard to believe it’s already the middle of September. In Canada, we all know that means it’s time to really get prepared for fall and winter (sorry we had to say the “W" word). It’s important to make sure your home is prepared for the cold months so it can be safe and efficient for your family.

10 Home Maintenance Tasks for Fall

There are a lot of things you can (and should) do to prepare your home for fall and winter, but there are a few essential things you simply can’t forget. If you’re planning a move this autumn or winter, you should be completing these items as well to ensure your old home is ready and safe for the new owners.

Here are 10 essential fall home maintenance tasks:

1. Care for Trees and Other Plants

Many trees, shrubs, and other outdoor plants require care before they go dormant if they are to survive and thrive when summer comes around again. If you don’t know how to, consider contacting an arborist to find out how to properly prune your trees and plants.

2. Clean Gutters

Even though it’s not a “prepare for fall” task and should instead be completed towards the end of the season, we included gutter cleaning because of how important it is for fall home maintenance. Once all the leaves have pretty much fallen, climb up on a ladder or on your roof and clean all of the debris out of the gutters and downspouts to ensure there’s room for melted snow to flow out.

3. Repair Walkways and Stairs

During the winter, broken or damaged walkways and stairs can become very dangerous due to ice and snow cover. Even if the crack or chip in your walkway is easy to see and avoid now, it could become a hazard in fall or winter.

4. Shut off Exterior Faucets

To make sure your home is protected from frozen, bursting pipes be sure to drain and shut off the water to exterior faucets and hoses before the weather starts getting too cold. It's a quick fall home maintenance task that can cause a lot of damage if forgotten.

5. Store Outdoor Furniture and Equipment

Outdoor furniture is mostly designed for summer. That means winter temperatures and conditions can sometimes damage it. If you have a place to store it like a garage or a shed, try to put it away. The same goes for equipment like lawn mowers and gardening tools.

6. Buy Fall and Winter Maintenance Tools

Things are always more affordable when you buy them out of season. Before we get too deep into fall and winter, go out and buy all the rakes, shovels, and snowblowers you need.

7. Winterize Swimming Pools

Not everyone has a swimming pool, but if you do it’s very important to winterize it as part of your fall home maintenance list. If you have an in-ground pool, purchase a winterizing kit and follow all the instructions. If you have an above-ground pool, get it drained and stored before it starts to freeze.

8. Clear Out Vents

Before the cool winter weather hits, make sure to clean out dryer, stove, and furnace vents in your home. Take off vent covers and vacuum out any lint that has built up to reduce your risk of fire.

9. Inspect/Clean Furnace

With Canadian winters, one thing is for sure: it won’t be long until you’re using your furnace again. Make sure to inspect and clean your furnace then have any necessary repairs done before winter so you don’t get stuck without the ability to heat your home when you really need it.

10. Seal Doors and Install Weatherstripping

In the summer, you probably won’t notice doors that aren’t properly sealed or are leaking air. But, when cold winds of winter start to blow, you surely will. Leaking doors are not only a pain, they can cost you in energy bills and can cause a hazard if they freeze up with ice. Make sure to install/replace weatherstripping on all your exterior doors and check that none of them are letting a breeze through.

We hope you found this fall maintenance checklist to be helpful. If you’re planning a move this season, make sure to get your free moving estimate from us today.