The Summer Home Maintenance Checklist You’ve Always Wanted

With longer days and better weather, summer’s a good time to tend to those long-forgotten home maintenance tasks.

But, as always, time is limited — even during the relaxing summer months.

What should you focus on and what are the highest priorities? Just follow this home maintenance checklist to stay on task:

• Change the air filters – You should do this every couple months anyway, but in the summer it’s doubly important (because it’s hotter and there are more allergens floating around!)
• Clean your disposal – Pour a few ice cubes and a tablespoon of vinegar down the drain and turn on the disposal. The vinegar will help clean the receptacle while the ice will sharpen the blades.
• Degrease your oven and vent hood – Use a degreasing product from your local auto store, mix it with hot water and go over the doors and exterior of your oven and vent hood with a sponge. Let it sit momentarily and then rinse it off with a wet towel.
• Test your smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detector, and fire extinguisher – Make sure they all have fresh batteries, are working, and are easily accessible. Most units have test buttons to make this home maintenance task easy for you.
• Vacuum your fridge coils – Take off the cover of your fridge vent and run the vacuum hose over the coils to clear away dust and debris. This stuff makes your fridge work harder, eating up unnecessary energy and cutting into the unit’s lifespan.
• Call in a pest company – As the weather gets warmer, pests start looking for somewhere to escape to. Don’t let it be your house! Schedule a once-over from a pest control company and have them spray a preventative product over the yard, closets, attic, and baseboards of your home.
• Trim your trees – Have trees shading your house or yard? Inspect them for any dead or dying branches. These pose a serious threat to your home, property, and loved ones — and just one strong wind could send them flying. Use a chainsaw to remove any potentially unsafe branches or call in a landscaping pro if there are bigger issues at work.

Proper home maintenance is crucial if you want your home — and its value — to last the long haul. Remember, that home is an investment in your future, so set yourself reminders to tend to its needs and keep it in tip-top shape all year long. Your finances will thank you for it when it’s time to sell.