It’s 40 degrees out and there is snow in the forecast, so it must be spring in Washington!  Seriously, the odds will catch up to us sooner or later and the warm weather will arrive.  To help you prepare, here are a few basic yet essential tasks you should undertake to make sure your home is in peak condition for spring:

Take a tour

The winter months can be hard on your home and property due to snow, wind and ice. Homeowners tend not to notice any issues during the cold months because, let’s face it, nobody wants to spend time outside checking on their home.  Now that temperatures are warming, take a few minutes to assess how your home fared during the winter.  Specifically, look at your roof for missing shingles (binoculars are a big help here), your gutters for damage or signs of backups, your siding/windows/doors for signs of damage and finally your yard to see if any of your trees or shrubs did not survive the winter

Get ready to stay cool

If you have not already done so, schedule an inspection and tune up of your AC systems by a licensed HVAC technician. If you wait until May or June to schedule you may not get an appointment before summer is half over, and if you don’t have a preemptive spring tune up you could find yourself without cooling for an extended period during the hottest days of the year.  Before the tech comes out, clean off your outdoor condensing units with a garden hose.  This is a service that many HVAC companies charge extra for, and it is a simple way to keep your AC operating efficiently.

Feel the breeze

In the Washington area we enjoy a brief window (sorry) in the spring and fall when we want to throw open windows and doors to enjoy the fresh air. In order not to miss out on this fleeting pleasure, take time now to make sure your windows operate properly and that you have screens installed in the ones you typically use.  Also, check your screens for tears or holes so that you can let the air in but keep the bugs out.

Clean the garage

Nobody likes cleaning the garage, but I am not talking about doing a wholesale reorganization here. At a minimum, you should blow or sweep out your garage to remove any dirt and salt that built up during the snowy months.  By doing so you will cut down on the debris that you track into your home that can damage your floors.  While you are at it, why not take some time to wash the salt off the cars too!

Tend to the yard

Even if you do not have a green thumb there are some basic yard tasks that you should undertake to prepare for the prime growing season.  First, remove any branches, leaves or other debris that you did not get to in the fall from your lawn and garden.  This will improve your home’s appearance while giving your lawn and plants the chance to grow unimpeded.  You may also want to apply a pre-emergent fertilizer to your lawn and start plotting any new plantings at this time.

For a more comprehensive month-by-month list of maintenance activities feel free to check us out at myhasslefreehome.com.  In the meantime, enjoy your spring.