By: Jennifer Sharp

Whether you’re thinking about selling a home during the summertime or not, it’s vital to your homes “health” that you complete certain tasks during the summer months.

1.) Wash Exterior Windows

Washing the interior of your windows is an easy winter task. Now that the temperatures are heating up, this is a great time to tackle the exterior windows.

If you have a 2 story home some of the windows may be difficult to reach.  You will either need the right tools or you’ll need to hire a professional.

When you’re washing the exterior windows of your home, the basic tools you’ll need include a ladder, access to an active hose, a rubber bladed squeegee, and some type of window cleaning product. Washing the windows can make a difference with the amount of light coming in.

2.) Inspect & Clean Window Screens

While washing the exterior windows, another task to complete is cleaning and inspecting the screens.  Ripped and dirty screens are a clear sign of a neglected home.

For torn screens, there is often local hardware store that can repair them inexpensively.

If your window screens just need a good cleaning a vacuum with a soft brush attachment will help if there is just a bit of dust.  If the screens have an excessive amount of dirt, you may need to use a hose to power clean.

3.) Check & Clean Your Homes Exterior

Another summer home maintenance task to complete is to check and clean your homes exterior.  Depending on the type, it will determine how you should go about completing this summer home maintenance task.

Below are the common types of exteriors and how to go about checking and/or cleaning them.

• Vinyl – requires less much maintenance.  Replace any missing or broken pieces of vinyl siding.  Dirty vinyl siding can usually be easily cleaned.
• Aluminum – Similar to vinyl, if there are missing or damaged pieces of aluminum siding, you can get replacement pieces at your local hardware store.  Aluminum siding can become oxidized and have a faded appearance, but can easily be painted.
• Wood – If you have a wood exterior, a fresh paint job might be needed.  Wood siding, while durable, typically needs to be repainted every 5 years or so.

Regardless of the type of exterior, it’s important that you check on its condition. It is the first impression of curb appeal.

4.) Inspect & Clean Your Ceiling Fans

Did you know that ceiling fans can be set to spin in two different directions, depending on the time of year?  During the summer your fans should spin in a counter-clockwise direction which forces air down, creating a cooling effect. Most ceiling fans have a switch that changes the fans direction.  This is also the time to clean for dust and check the light bulbs.

5.) Check Your Deck and/or Patio

One of the best things about summer is spending time outside on your deck or patio.

If you have a wood deck you should take the time to inspect whether you should stain or paint. It is usually required every few years, which can lengthen the life of your deck as well as make it more appealing.

If you have a concrete patio, you should check to see if it needs any sealing.  For a brick patio, be on the lookout for missing or damaged bricks.

6.) Clean Your Outdoor Grill

In order to lengthen the lifespan of your grill, one of the first things you should tackle are the grates.  It’s recommended that every year you soak and scrub them.  Neglecting the grates, will make them deteriorate quickly.

It’s also a good idea to wipe the interior and exterior of the grill.  Debris inside can reduce the lifespan of the grills firebox and burners.  For gas grills make sure your tank is full and a backup to spare.

7.) Focus On Your Gardens

An inexpensive option for a beautiful appurtenance is using mulch in your gardens.  It will also help keep weeds out and help keep in moisture, great for the hot summer months.

Also be sure to trim bushes, shrubs, and trees, keeping them away from the exterior, roof, and also your homes air conditioning unit.  Trees, shrubs, and bushes that rest on a home can create damage.

8.) Check Your Fence

Weather chain-link or privacy fencing, you’ll want to check to make sure there are no broken or missing pieces.  Also consider painting or staining your fence.  Just like the deck, painting will prolong its life.

9.) Inspect The Grading Around Your Home

Water damage is one of the quickest ways to scare away potential home buyers. Inspecting the grading around your home is another very important task to complete.  You want to make sure the pitch of the ground around your homes foundation is sloping away from your home, allowing ground water to run away from the home and not towards the home.  If you notice low areas adding some top soil can help correct this problem.

10.) Check Your Gutters

Lastly, gutters and downspouts can get damaged over the winter and spring, and also become filled with debris like leaves.

Clogged or damaged gutters may lead to water problems inside your home, by not taking water far enough away from your home.  It’s important that your downspouts are taking any water away from your home, which can be done by installing inexpensive extensions.

 

While summers are best spent relaxing and vacationing, home maintenance is important and should not be neglected.  Keeping up with home maintenance can go a long way to ensure your home stays in great shape.