Spring Has Sprung — And So Should You: A Home Checkup for the Season

I waited a long time for the cold weather to finally makes its way out, but now that spring is here there are lots of things to do to and around the house. There’s also the semi-annual ‘spring cleaning’ (I don’t do this just once a year – it’s not an apartment!). There are eaves to clean out, porches to sweep, vines to trim, and vegetables to plant. And weather you live in house, an apartment, or you’re sharing a living space with someone, there are always things to do when the temperatures rise. Let’s take a tour …

Spring is the perfect time to do a walkthrough of your home — inside and out — and take care of the small stuff before it becomes the expensive stuff. You don’t have to do it all in one weekend. Think of it as a stroll through your space with fresh eyes.

Start Outside

Winter is hard on a house. Walk the perimeter and look up. Check your gutters for debris — leaves, twigs, and whatever else settled in over the cold months. A clogged gutter can send water right where you don’t want it, against your foundation or into your walls. While you’re up there (or hiring someone who is), check that downspouts are directing water away from the house.

Look at your roof if you can safely do so from the ground. Missing or curled shingles after a rough winter are worth a call to a roofer before spring rains do their worst.

Check your driveway and walkways for cracks that freeze-thaw cycles may have widened. A tube of concrete caulk or crack filler is cheap. A tripping hazard is not.

Windows and Doors

Open every window. Yes, all of them. Check the seals, look for cracks in the frames, and make sure screens are intact. Replace any that aren’t — screens are your first defense against the insects that would very much like to join you for dinner this summer.

While you’re at it, check weatherstripping on exterior doors. If you can see daylight around the edges, your air conditioning will work harder than it needs to all summer long.