With spring upon us now is the perfect time to put winter to bed with a little spring cleaning and house maintenance. Whether you’re a renter, a landlord or an owner/occupier, here are nine ways you can welcome the warmer weather and get your place looking and feeling tip-top.
Spring into the new season with a stroll through the house and around your section with an eye out for issues that need attention. Take pen and paper and note any issues, inspecting first with a macro lens for things noticeable from a distance, then with a micro lens to find smaller problems that left alone will turn into big problems.
If you haven’t checked your gutters since autumn they may be full of leaves and debris, blocking water flow and putting stress on the joins and fixings. Safely scale a ladder and clean out the guttering right around the entire roof. When they’re clear it’s time to look at the various products you can install to help keep your gutters clear of leaves.
If you’re house has a crawl space under the floor, spring is the time to see how it’s faired through winter. If the space isn’t too large you can likely poke your head in the entrance and shine a torch around. Things to look out for are damage to the insulation or vapour sheet, sagging floors, moisture or pest infestation. If you’re crawling into the depths a pair of disposable overalls, goggles and a mask are a must.
If you take care of the lawns, your lawnmower may have had little use through winter. Give it a birthday before the spring growth kicks in and you ask much more of it. Clean any clippings and organic matter from the body and under the deck. The old fuel will likely be stale so give it a fresh tank, change the oil and spark plug, and clean or replace any air and fuel filters. Run it and put the deck at a high height so you’re not cutting the grass to within an inch of its life.
Whip round the property removing any fallen branches, leaves and other debris that may have gathered on lawns and in gardens over winter.
If you have a green thumb you can weed the gardens, prepare the soil and plant flowers to bathe in the increased sunlight. Check out these tips on increasing property value with landscaping and don’t hesitate to call in the professionals if you lack green thumbs.
Give your outdoor furniture a scrub down in eager and earnest anticipation of el fresco dining and Sunday morning paper reading. While you’re at it why not give the barbecue some love and make sure your gas cylinder is full and ready to rock for your first barbee.
Your heating source will have been working hard all winter so reward it with a service and prepare it for what will hopefully be a spring/summer hibernation. If you have a wood burner you can sweep the chimney or better yet — pay a pro with all the gear to do it. Cleaning the exterior of the fireplace and removing built-up ash from inside will have it ready to go come next autumn/winter.
If you have a heat pump consult your owner’s manual for the good word on cleaning and any cycle you may need to run it through before a prolonged period of non-use.
Taking stock in spring
Anyone who has suffered through a long winter dealing with damp and condensation will be stoked to see the arrival of spring. For landlords and investment property owners, it can also be an ideal time to take stock of your offering and consider some changes to help attract and keep long-term tenants. Happy spring!
Image: ‘Cracker House […]’ by Victor under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
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