As wreaths adorn front doors and cornstalks with mums decorate front porches and homes, it would be totally awesome if that was all your home needed to survive the upcoming Fall. While some are predicting for mild autumn, we like to prepare for anything that may come our way. So while the weather is still (relatively) nice and the sun is shining, this is the perfect month to prepare your home for the Fall season. We like to make your life better so we put together 5 simple things you can do in the form of a checklist to prepare your home for Fall.
Find Those Drafts
With the weather turning cooler, you want to be sure to keep all of the heat in the house as you can. According to the U.S. Department of Energy. your home uses 25-30 of its heating energy use to replace heat that is lost through your windows. Go around the house and feel the seals on your windows too and doors to see if there are any drafts coming through them. If you find them, simple weatherstripping is probably the most cost-effective way to stop those drafts, keep heating costs down and not have to look at replacing all of your windows.
Change Your Furnace Filters
Now that you have your drafts taken care of, make sure your furnace is operating at optimal performance by changing the filters. A good rule of thumb is to change 1-2 inch filters every three months, 4-inch filters every six months and 5-inch filters every 12 months. Most filters are the 1-2 inch size so it is safe to bet it is time for you to swap them out. If you aren’t sure if you need to, filters will be visibly dirty with longer usage. If you have animals, definitely replace them more frequently. Doing so will ensure the good air quality in your home as well as optimal heating for those chilly fall nights.
Drain Your Outdoor Faucets
Everyone has good intentions when it comes to draining faucets outside before the colder months arrive. However, one frost/frozen night can cause a world of headaches. While we know you want to keep your mums looking fabulous, it is time to drain and disconnect all garden hoses from outside spigots to prevent any water freezing. Also, be sure to blow out any irrigation systems you have to get all of the water out of the pipes. Not doing this can result in pipes bursting, so….yeah…you may want to do this.
Bring in Your Outdoor Furniture
Look, we get it. June was a wet month and you are probably still lamenting the few times you had to enjoy your patio furniture this summer. However, don’t hold on and hope that you can squeeze out just one more night under the stars. Don’t ruin the time and money you spent in purchasing/setting up the patio over the summer. Store your items in your garage, shed or even your local storage facility. You can also find waterproof covers for your furniture if you do want to roll the dice over the fall months. Amazon has cost-efficient options, though we recommend bringing it inside the house.
Evaluate Your Value
Fall is a great time to look at your property values and how your investment is doing. The housing market is a seller’s market right now and you just might find that the perfect way to prepare your house for fall is to find a better one! Contacting an agent, like one of our Burgan Bunch members at Burgan, might actually help you fall into money this season instead of more chores.
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