Are You Ready to Take on Spokane’s Winter?
It’s never too early to start planning for Winter and we want to help you get more prepared! Follow this checklist to make sure you and your home are ready for whatever the cold may bring this year!
Fall Maintenance Checklist:
1. Rake Leaves
Getting ready for winter means raking up all those dang leaves! Considering it will need to get done eventually, it is better to rake them while they are still dry and featherweight. Along with that, leaves on the ground can hinder spring growth. You might as well make it fun for you and the whole family by enjoying a few cannon balls while you’re at it! 😉
2. Bring in Outdoor Furniture
A dull but yet very necessary task is to put away outdoor furniture. To help keep the lifespan of the furniture it is good to bring it all in to a covered area where the rain, snow, and cold won’t affect the depreciation.
3. Split Flower Bulbs
To keep your yard looking beautiful for the coming up Spring, dig up your flower bulbs and split them in order to have an abundance of amazing regrowth!
4. Blow Out Sprinklers
Blowing out the sprinklers is almost a must when approaching winter. Without blowing out your sprinklers you risk your pipes freezing which never leads to good things. Reduce the stress now so that more problems don’t arise during the colder season.
Learn how to blow out your sprinklers here.
5. Shut Off Outside Faucets and Unhook Hoses
After blowing out your sprinklers, it is good to unhook your hoses and shut off your outside faucets. Another prevention to help keep those pipes from bursting and causing more issues.
6. Final Lawn Fertilization
The snow and cold can make our lawn look a bit gloomy, get in a last fertilization before the snow comes to help your grass come back looking just as beautiful!
7. Shut Down Your Pool (If you have one)
Say goodbye to the warm, sunny days relaxing by the pool and get ready for cozy nights in with a warm cup of apple cider! Shutting down your pool helps protect you from further expenses and damages to your pool. If it were to freeze and sit throughout winter, it could ruin the pipes and in turn, cost you a pricey sum.
8. Test Winter Equipment
It might be wise for you to test your leaf blower, snow blower and any other winter equipment prior to the season hitting. If you were to get snowed in and your snow blower was no longer working, you may be getting a bit of a later start to your day. Be prepared and give them a quick test run!
9. Gutter Clean Out
Next step, clearing out your gutters. This is a pretty easy thing to do and even easier the more often they get cleaned. Don’t let the winter make cleaning them even more challenging and stay up on keeping a tidy area for rain to be collected.
10. Stock up on Winter Supplies
Be prepared in advance for the fast approaching winter and get all the supplies you would need. For example, wood, lighters, windshield scraper, shovel, flashlights, warm clothing accessories, etc. It is always better to be well equipped than under prepared. Especially when there is snow outside and below freezing temperatures making a quick trip to the store sometimes impossible.
11. Add Weatherstripping
To help prevent cold air from coming in, weatherstrip your windows and doors. This way any cold breeze that could come through, no longer can and will help you save money on your heating bill!
Need to know how? Click here.
12. Heating System Maintenance
Heating system maintenance can include a variety of different things. Some things that you might want to consider on your list is taking out window A/C units or simple turning off your A/C and cranking up that heat! If you have a chimney, it might be wise to have a cleaning done. Santa will be arriving soon and we want to make sure he has the easiest access down! The last heating system maintenance necessary for the winter forthcoming is getting your furnace serviced and replacing your filters. You wouldn’t want winter to hit and realize you have an issue with your furnace.
13. Change Alarm Batteries
It is a good rule of thumb to change the batteries in your smoke alarm and CO detector twice a year. It is typically recommended to do that when the time-zone changes. For your safety and the safety of your family members, it would be wise to just do a simple battery switch of those devices.
14. Switch to Your Snow Tires
Since the snow and ice will be arriving sooner than we know, it is better to get a head-start on your car and switch over to your winter tires. Putting on your snow tires is the best way to stay safe and not get stuck in a rut (literally) while trafficking around town. Most people wait until the snow hits, but then you are stuck in a crowd of people with the same idea and no other option. It is better to get it done while you have the time and to prepare in advance for the wonderful snow that will proceed.
15. Get Your Flu Shot
Nothing screams fall more than runny noses and itchy throats! Stay healthy and get your flu shot to help prevent sickness throughout the season.
Find a place near you to get a flu shot today!
16. Deep Clean and Light Your Favorite Fall Candle
You’re almost complete! Play your favorite cleaning music and spend the day doing all the cleaning you’ve procrastinated during the summer months. You will feel a lot better once it’s all done, trust me. Light your favorite fall candle to really bring on the fall spirit!
Now, it’s time to relax!
The best part of fall is having an excuse to do absolutely nothing! Enjoy it. Take a deep breath, get cozy, grab a cup of hot cocoa, read a book or partake in any of your favorite fall activities!
You have completed everything you needed to, now go out and take in the beautiful fall colors and .
We hope this checklist helped organize your to-do list!
Enjoy your fall & don’t forget to give us a call when it comes time for you to buy or sell a home!
The Hardie Group
509-456-4500