Your Fall Home Maintenance Checklist
Prep your house and yard for cold weather with this list of things to do in an hour or over a weekend
Laura Gaskill
October 20, 2023
Houzz Contributor. I cover decorating ideas, Houzz tours & the monthly home maintenance checklist. My favorite pieces to write center around the emotional aspects of home and savoring life's simple pleasures. Decluttering course + discount for Houzzers: https://www.lauragaskill.com/welcome-houzzers
Houzz Contributor. I cover decorating ideas, Houzz tours & the monthly home maintenance... More
Fall is a good time to take care of big home repair projects before shorter days (and in many areas, ice and snow) make outdoor work too difficult. And if you do live in an area with cold winters, take some time this fall to boost energy efficiency throughout your home and prevent damage from winter storms with proper tree care. (We spoke with an expert to find out what you need to do.) Tick these items off your list this season, and you can rest easy knowing that your home and yard are buttoned up and ready for winter.
Tasks to Check Off Your List in an Hour or Less
Stock up on winter supplies. If you live in a region with cold, snowy winters, fall is the time to prepare.
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Stock up on winter supplies. If you live in a region with cold, snowy winters, fall is the time to prepare.
- Check the condition of snow shovels and ice scrapers; replace as needed.
- Pick up a bag of pet- and plant-safe ice melt, if needed.
- Restock emergency kits for car and home.
- If you use a snow blower, have it serviced and purchase fuel.
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Check walkways, railings, stairs and the driveway for winter safety. When the landscape is covered in ice and snow, just walking from the driveway to the front door can be a challenge.
Make navigating around your home safer by checking that all stairs are in good shape and have sturdy railings, and that the driveway is in good repair to make for easier shoveling.
Test outdoor lights and replace bulbs as needed. As the days get shorter we rely more on exterior lighting, both for safety and ambiance. Test lights on the front and back porch, on the garage and in the landscape, and replace bulbs as needed.
Shop for outdoor lighting
Make navigating around your home safer by checking that all stairs are in good shape and have sturdy railings, and that the driveway is in good repair to make for easier shoveling.
Test outdoor lights and replace bulbs as needed. As the days get shorter we rely more on exterior lighting, both for safety and ambiance. Test lights on the front and back porch, on the garage and in the landscape, and replace bulbs as needed.
Shop for outdoor lighting
Check safety devices.
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- Test smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors; replace batteries as needed.
- Check the expiration date on your fire extinguisher and replace if needed.
- If you haven’t checked your home for radon, fall is a good time to do so — as the weather gets cooler and windows stay shut more often, radon is more likely to become trapped in your home.
- Radon at high enough levels is extremely harmful, so if you find that your home has radon (a radon level of 4 or above is considered unacceptable by the Environmental Protection Agency), hire a contractor qualified to fix radon issues.
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Vacuum radiators, baseboard heaters and grates. Get ready for heating season by clearing away dust and grime from radiators, baseboard heaters and heating grates. If your radiators have removable covers, take them off and vacuum beneath the cover before replacing.
Remove window A/C units. If you use window air conditioning units in the summer, remove them before the weather turns cold. If you must leave in window A/C units, cover the exterior of the unit with an insulating wrap to keep cold air out.
Simple Pleasures: Fall Traditions for a Special Season
Remove window A/C units. If you use window air conditioning units in the summer, remove them before the weather turns cold. If you must leave in window A/C units, cover the exterior of the unit with an insulating wrap to keep cold air out.
Simple Pleasures: Fall Traditions for a Special Season
Tackle These To-Dos Over a Weekend
Rake leaves. Leaves look beautiful blanketing the ground, but leaving too many leaves on a lawn over winter in a snowy area can inhibit spring growth. To make the job easier, choose a lightweight rake, wear gloves to protect your hands and use handheld “leaf scoops” to bag leaves quickly.
Rake leaves. Leaves look beautiful blanketing the ground, but leaving too many leaves on a lawn over winter in a snowy area can inhibit spring growth. To make the job easier, choose a lightweight rake, wear gloves to protect your hands and use handheld “leaf scoops” to bag leaves quickly.
Seal gaps where critters could enter. Mice need only a tiny gap to be able to sneak into your house and raid your pantry. And with colder weather coming, all of the little critters out there will be looking for warm places to make a home. Fill small holes and cover any larger gaps securely with heavy-duty hardware cloth to keep the wildlife outdoors.
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Care for trees and shrubs. If you have trees on your property, consider hiring an arborist to care for them. These pros can spot signs of poor health early on to prevent tree loss. And they know how to prune properly to avoid falling limbs in winter storms. Because trees are slowing growth in the fall, it’s not an ideal time to plant a new tree, as the roots may have trouble getting established. It’s also a good idea to observe your trees throughout the fall, keeping an eye out for signs that signal a need for intervention.
Deep-clean the kitchen. Take a day to tackle some of the more labor-intensive cleaning tasks, and keep your kitchen working efficiently and looking great:
- Degrease the range hood and filter.
- Clean the oven.
- Vacuum the refrigerator coils.
- Scrub tile grout.
- Clean light fixtures.
- Wash the walls and backsplash.
- Wash the garbage can and recycling bins.
- Clean small appliances.
Add weatherstripping. Weatherstripping applied around the frames of windows and doors helps boost winter warmth and cut energy costs. Add door sweeps to the base of drafty doors to keep heat in and cold air out.
Clean dryer vents. Lint buildup in dryer vents can make your dryer work less efficiently and even cause a fire — cool, dry fall weather increases static electricity, which can ignite lint that has built up, so now is a key time to get that lint out. You can hire a duct cleaning specialist to clean the vents for you, or clean the vent yourself. If you decide to do it yourself:
1. Unplug your dryer.
2. Shut off the gas if you have a gas dryer.
3. Pull the dryer slightly away from the wall.
4. Loosen the clamp holding the hose.
5. Use a vacuum attachment or lint brush made for dryer hoses to clean out the hose and behind the dryer.
6. Replace the hose, gently move the dryer to the wall (without crushing the hose) and plug it in.
1. Unplug your dryer.
2. Shut off the gas if you have a gas dryer.
3. Pull the dryer slightly away from the wall.
4. Loosen the clamp holding the hose.
5. Use a vacuum attachment or lint brush made for dryer hoses to clean out the hose and behind the dryer.
6. Replace the hose, gently move the dryer to the wall (without crushing the hose) and plug it in.
Maintenance and Extras to Budget for This Month
Make exterior repairs. Take a walk around your property, looking for signs of damage to the roof, siding and foundation. If you spot anything that needs repair, schedule it before winter weather hits.
Clean gutters and downspouts. Once most of the leaves have fallen, clean out gutters and downspouts (hire a helper if you are not comfortable on a ladder). Clogged gutters during rainstorms can cause water to pool and damage your roof or siding.
Update your tool kit
Make exterior repairs. Take a walk around your property, looking for signs of damage to the roof, siding and foundation. If you spot anything that needs repair, schedule it before winter weather hits.
Clean gutters and downspouts. Once most of the leaves have fallen, clean out gutters and downspouts (hire a helper if you are not comfortable on a ladder). Clogged gutters during rainstorms can cause water to pool and damage your roof or siding.
Update your tool kit
Conduct an energy audit. A trained auditor can assess your home’s current energy efficiency and give you a list of recommended improvements you can make, which may include upgrading to Energy Star appliances, adding insulation to the attic or beefing up weatherstripping. You can also find instructions for a do-it-yourself energy audit at Energy.gov.
Schedule a chimney cleaning and heating system maintenance. Making sure your chimney and furnace or boiler are cleaned, maintained and in working order before you need to turn on the heat is an important safety measure. And be sure to add a chimney cap if you don’t already have one — it will stop critters from crawling down your chimney!
Tell us: Love them or hate them? Share which fall chores you adore and which you could live without in the Comments.
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Read more stories about cleaning and maintaining your home
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Schedule a chimney cleaning and heating system maintenance. Making sure your chimney and furnace or boiler are cleaned, maintained and in working order before you need to turn on the heat is an important safety measure. And be sure to add a chimney cap if you don’t already have one — it will stop critters from crawling down your chimney!
Tell us: Love them or hate them? Share which fall chores you adore and which you could live without in the Comments.
More on Houzz
Read more stories about cleaning and maintaining your home
Find a pro to help with your home project
Shop for home improvement products
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I keep the battery chargers (and batteries) for lawn equipment in the garage during the warmer months, but bring them in for the cold winter season to help keep the batteries in good health.
I also like to clean out the composters and sift the soil that has been created. In the winter, it will freeze solid and room can be at a premium. By emptying them out, I have plenty of room for the food scraps throughout the winter. One year, I put the large Halloween pumpkin in and it froze, not giving me enough room for the winter. Lesson learned!
It's also a good time to paint touch-ups. I did the barn doors last week, and this will help preserve the wood through the snow and ice that will inevitably come.
I really liked the tip about doing one different chore a day!
Last year, I brought my lawn sweeper over to my neighbors and cleaned up the heavy load of leaves their giant maple trees drop. I brought them over here, and using my electric leaf blower in reverse, chopped them up and put them over my vegetable garden and around my other permaculture beds. It amazed me how this really helped eliminate weeds and kept moisture in the soil. I plan to do this every year from now on. They're happy and I'm happy because all those leaves don't blow everywhere before they can be mulched smaller.
I forgot one that makes my list every year. After unscrewing the hoses from the outdoor faucets and putting them away, I also shut off the inside water valve so that it doesn't freeze. Any liquids that I keep in the garage also come inside: pool chemicals, sprayer contents like dormant spray for the fruit trees or paint.
Um, fall is literally the best time to plant trees and shrubs. Please consult with any of myriad gardening sources to confirm this. Planting in fall permits the roots to become well-established while the plant doesn't have to divert any resources toward leaf growth.