With fall approaching it's important to take advantage of the last bit of nice weather and get your home and property ready for the long winter months ahead. The good news for those who are homesharing is that it's faster and easier to prepare your home for winter when you and your housemates work together as a team. Tasks that will boost your household's energy efficiency or protect your home during winter will benefit your entire household.
The following tasks are important to do in the fall. Depending on your homeshare arrangement, some of these jobs may already be tasked to a housemate. For those that aren't, it's important to have a household meeting where you can discuss and hopefully divide and conquer so that everyone has an opportunity to help by doing jobs they are interested in, capable of, and enjoy.
Fall Home Maintenance Checklist
Take care of all the gardening around your home including trimming trees and shrubs to help them survive the winter.
Consider wrapping newly established trees to give them the best chance of surviving the winter months ahead.
Rake leaves, which can inhibit the growth of your lawn in the spring.
Clean your gutters and downspouts – wait until most of the leaves have fallen to do this.
Seal gaps in your home where critters could enter. Mice will be looking for a warm place to spend the winter, and they only need a small gap to enter your home.
Check your walkway, railings, stairs and driveway to ensure any uneven or loose paver stones are repaired before the ice hits.
Ensure you have all your winter supplies ready, including wood for the fireplace, salt to melt ice, shovels, snow brushes, and emergency kits with blankets for your vehicle.
Have your winter-related appliances serviced including your furnace, fireplace and snow blower. Remember to clean your dryer vents too to reduce the risk of a fire.
Shut off your exterior faucets, close your pool, and change the water in your hot tub.
Add weatherstripping around the frames of your windows and doors to reduce your energy costs and keep the home warm in the winter months.
Check all your safety devices and change batteries on your smoke detectors, CO2 detectors, etc.
If you have one, remove your window A/C unit
Clean your windows and do a deep clean of your home, as you would during the spring.
Complete any exterior repairs to your home that may be needed.
Working together as a team to get ready for the winter is a wonderful way to spend time with your housemates while getting outside and enjoying the beautiful fall weather. With your home well cared for you'll be extra comfy and cozy this winter. Give the team at HomeShareAlliance a call for more home sharing advice and for help with your own home share journey!
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