Getting Your Home Ready for Fall

It may not feel like it today, but summer is beginning to wind down.  Cooler weather is coming and it’s time to do some of the annual home maintenance, before it gets too cold or wet. Preparing your home for the fall season, and cleaning up the yard, can prevent the unsightly mess you could be left with when spring comes along.

Clean out the rain gutters – Now is the time to get rid of anything left from last year, plus the dirt that accumulated over the summer.  Cleaning rain gutters isn’t that difficult of a task, it’s just a tedious one. An easy way to get rid of the junk is to use a high pressure hose.  Once you have gotten rid of all the debris, give your gutters a good shot to be sure the downspouts are all full open.  Tomorrow, after they dry, is the perfect time to apply that touch-up paint.  Not only will it look better, it can stop the rust and prolong your gutter’s life.

Take care of your pots and planters – If you’re like most homeowners, you have some planters or potted plants sitting around the yard. Before it gets too cold, be sure to empty the dirt out of any pots or planters and put them in a place where they won’t freeze. If you don’t empty or store your planters, there’s a good chance they will either crack or fall apart.  If you live where it doesn’t freeze but does rain a lot care might be called for to protect your plants from drowning.  Will they get too much water?  Will they drain properly?

Prepare for raking the leaves– Keeping your yard free of leaves is an important task for homeowners. If you have numerous trees in your yard and piles of leaves that you don’t take care of, you might find that your grass is dead once spring arrives. Leaves can smother your lawn and replacing a lawn can cost a lot of money, so it’s a good rule of thumb to get rid of the leaves in the fall.  Make sure your yard is free of obstacles and you have a plan for disposing of the leaves.  Some will compost them, other have them hauled off.  There are even companies that but them!

Weed and feed the lawn – The best time to weed and feed the lawn is in the fall. If you add weed killer in the fall, the weeds will store the poison in their roots during the winter season, and will prevent a breakout in the spring. By feeding your lawn with fertilizer in the fall, you are promoting healthy root growth, and this will help your lawn grow greener and faster in the spring.

Give your tools a tune-up– Once you have finished your fall maintenance chores, make sure you clean your tools and store them in a dry place so they will be in working order once spring arrives. Be sure to store metal shovels with the head upwards, as this will help detour rusting when it dries. Sheers need to be oiled up, wheel barrels should be left upside down and don’t forget to spray off the underside of the lawnmower.  Yes, I know, in the valley we use our lawn mower all year.  But this is a good time for that annual maintenance, while you are tending to the other items.

I am sure you have other tips.  Want to share them?  Want to see them in print?  Leave a comment below, email us, or go directly to our web site at Yuba Sutter Homes and Loans.


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