Home Maintenance Tips to Ensure You’re Summer Ready

Summer is just a few weeks away, so it’s time to get that yearly home maintenance checklist out to tick off these home maintenance tips we’re going to give you to get your house and yard ready for summer.

Let’s be real, there are a lot more than 15 things that you should probably do to get your home in tip top summer shape (just like there are probably more than 15 things we should do to get our bodies in tip top summer shape, but that’s just depressing), but you always have to prioritize where you want to spend the most money and time. 

For some of you, that is your outdoor space – you love to entertain and barbeque and play outside with your kids. For others, the thought of a speck of sweat on you without having to go to a spin class is out of the question, so you’ll want to make sure your inside space is up to par.

Either way you look at it, we could all use this reminder for some home maintenance tips:

1. Get that cooling system ready.
   
   We all know how a Kansas City summer goes – you don’t want to be stuck in 90 degree heat without A/C! So clean or change the filter, clean the coils, make sure all debris is cleared away from the unit; OR, if you’re like us, just hire someone to come out and have your air conditioner serviced. (Check our Resources page to see a list of our preferred vendors!)
2. Clean that grimy garbage disposal.
   
   Sounds fun, right? There are some pre-made solutions you can buy to take care of this, but if you’re into DIY, here’s a blog with a simple solution with items you, most likely, have on hand. 
3. Clean your windows, both on the inside and outside.
   
   Hopefully you have the handy dandy windows that easily pop in and out for convenient cleaning!
4. Dust ceiling fans.
   
   No one needs their allergies flaring up because you decide to turn the ceiling fan on for some cooling relief but you haven’t dusted them since 1998.
5. Clean your grill.
   
   You may be the person that grills winter, spring, summer and fall, but if not, time to get those hands dirty. All it takes is a little soap, water and scrub brush to make sure you’re keeping the rust off the grill, and, therefore, off your brats and burgers.
6. Give your deck some love.
   
   Everybody loves a deck party. Nobody loves a nail in the foot, a splinter in the hand or a crackling stain job. So hammer in those loose nails, replace any rotting boards, reseal or stain if needed and party away!
7. Protect your home from summer pests.
   
   Ain’t nobody got time for ants and spiders and mosquitos, oh my! Hopefully you’re using a seasonal pest treating company or solution, but you may also need to consider caulking any doors and windows to keep those pests outside, where they belong.
8. Clean out your gutters.
   
   If these home maintenance tips are getting daunting, don’t worry! We’re already halfway through! This one is necessary, probably a couple times a year depending on your tree situation. And if you never want to have to get on a ladder again to do this, consider having gutter covers installed or hiring someone to do this for you.
9. Touch up or repaint the outside of your home.
   
   Spring can feel like a better time to check this one off your list because of the cooler temps, but the weather can be a lot more unpredictable, so summer is usually a better time of year to tackle this one. 
10. Care for your plants.
    
    If you didn’t already do a spring cleaning of flower beds, now is the time to get those gardening gloves out! Clear up any weeds, add a layer of mulch and figure out a watering schedule that’s best for your flowers and plants.
11. Get your chimney cleaned.
    
    This service provider is most likely less busy during this time of year than fall and winter, so take advantage!
12. Have your roof inspected.
    
    Those spring storms brought a lot of wind, rain and potential hail damage. There could be loose or missing shingles and leaks that you’ll want to inspect so you can tackle small repairs instead of a full roof replacement.
13. Do a smoke detector check.
    
    You might want to wear earplugs for this one, but it’s best to check all the smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to make sure batteries are still in good working order.
14. Clean out the refrigerator.
    
    This is many people’s least favorite job, so throw some dishwashing gloves on that teenager, give them some soapy water and let them go to town. Tell them that their payment is … they can continue to eat the food that you buy for them that is stored in that refrigerator. 😉 
15. Clean out your shower drains.
    
    Okay, maybe worse than cleaning the fridge is cleaning out shower drains, especially if you have daughters – oh the hair! So, hold your breath, clean out the drain mechanism, poor some bleach down it, rinse and call it a day. 

Whew! You did it! How accomplished do you feel? You just ticked a lot of items off that yearly home maintenance checklist and you continued to be a responsible homeowner. Accept our virtual pat on the back!

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