Home Maintenance Checklist (Season By Season)

Today, we are sharing a home maintenance checklist that you can follow, season by season.

It’s important to properly maintain your home. Home maintenance is important for a number of reasons. A home that is well-cared for is much more pleasant to live in, looks better, and is much safer too. If you can keep your home in a good state of maintenance, you should also have to deal with repairs less often, which will save you stress and money, on frustrating, expensive home repairs. Here’s your essential home maintenance checklist. 

Monthly Tasks

You will complete some home preventative tasks monthly, regardless of the season, to keep your home in good repair. So let’s start first with a short monthly home maintenance checklist.

• Check your boiler pressure
• Test any smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors
• Remove the fluff from your tumble dryer
• Top-up rinse aid in the dishwasher
• Submit your gas and eclectic meter readings
• Maintain your garden
• Make any repairs that need doing

Winter

Work through this list of maintenance tasks to make sure your property is safe from harsh winter weather. 

• Do regular checks on trees and fences for storm damage. Make any repairs as you find them to prevent a fall
• Check your roof for slipped tiles after windy weather. If you find any damage, call a roofing company to repair it promptly. 
• Clean out any leaves or debris from around the garden. Trim trees to avoid loose or dead branches coming down in the wind
• Prevent the house from getting damp by opening your windows occasionally and using extractor fans
• Wipe down any condensation from wooden window frames to stop them from rotting
• Check your pipes for leaks after very cold weather
• Tether down any large garden items if storms are forecast. Trampolines can be thrown very long distances in strong winds, causing a lot of damage. Garden furniture should be secured or put away.

Autumn

Your home maintenance checklist for Autumn should focus on winter-proofing your home. 

• Have the chimney swept
• If you have a flat roof, such as over an extension, check it for any damage or sitting water
• Bleed your radiators, so they’re ready to effectively heat your home
• Clean and store your garden furniture if you won’t be using it until the weather improves
• After the leaves have dropped, clear your gutters and drainage. Make sure all pipes are securely attached to the walls. 
• Clear away any leaves or debris that may have gathered around your walls to prevent damp and rodents from being attracted
• Check the clearance between your damp proof course the ground. The gap should have a clearance of 150mm
• Insulate your external pipes or taps. This prevents them from freezing and bursting when temperatures drop
• Check that your security lights are working properly. 
• Lock any outbuildings and sheds earlier, as it gets dark earlier

Summer

As the weather warms up, turn your attention outside. 

• Clean your garden furniture
• Clean the patio and jetwash the deck. Do this at the start of summer to stop them getting slippery
• Repair and repaint external woodwork, such as your fences, window frames, and doors. 
• Do any repointing that needs doing
• Prune back any large trees or shrubs that are close to your home. This reduces their water consumption, which stops them from causing subsidence
• Trim any climbing plants, to stop them from growing across windows or guttering
• Service your hot water tank or boiler
• Wash your duvets, pillows, cushions, and curtains
• Check the seals around your bath and sinks for any links. If the sealant is showing signs of wear, you can redo it yourself, or call a handyman. 

Spring

As well as the classic Spring clean, there’s still a maintenance list you should work on. 

• Check the roof for any damage that may have happened over the Winter
• Fit bird cages to your chimney pots, to discourage birds from nesting in them
• Check your chimney stack to see if it needs to be repointed or if the pot is loose. If areas of grout are missing, or there are plants growing in the gaps, then it needs repointing. You can use binoculars to check. 
• Inspect and clean your guttering. Use a ladder to get up and scoop out leaves, moss, and anything else that might be caught in there. This means your gutters can effectivelty move water away from the house, not sit against the walls where it causes dampness and other damage
• Make sure your bricks are clean and clear
• Clean windows inside and out before the sun shines on them and show how dirty they are
• Check your exterior paintwork and patch up any areas that are flaking

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Deborah

Editor and author at DIY Home & Garden, a Word Innovations publication

Deborah Tayloe is a full-time blogger, children's book author, and freelance writer, contributing to large publications.

She has a B.S.Ed. in Secondary Education/English and a Spanish Minor. In addition, she holds a Certificates in Natural Health and Herbology from accredited programs. She pursued these natural wellness certifications due to her love for herb gardening.

Despite freelancing to make a living, her love is "all things home."

Deborah grew up in a family that grew a large vegetable garden and a fruit orchard, helping her parents pull weeds and can home-grown foods as part of her childhood. In fact, she had no idea that she could purchase veggies and fruits in pre-packed steel cans until she went to college and made a food run.

Today, she lives in Bertie County, North Carolina, an agricultural rural area with more chickens than people. She lives with her husband and two rescue pets a sweet toy fox terrier and a cat who showed up one day and moved into the house. Together, they enjoy DIY projects, furniture refinishing, gardening, and canning.

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