Fall Prep: Your Home Maintenance Checklist

While a good 'spring clean' is important, the Fall Season also harkens in the need to do some important chores around the home and yard. Below are some seasonal suggestions from a wealth of experts.

Don't Prune, Do Transplant.

Colonel Landscaping (colonellandscaping.com) in Connecticut advises clients to resist the desire to prune in fall, and save that chore for spring, when pruning promotes new growth. Instead, Colonel suggests transplanting trees and shrubs that, without the added stresses of summer weather, will focus their energies on root growth.

Colonel explains that a late season application of lawn fertilizer, particularly in areas where cold weather grasses dominate, can nourish the root system and prepare it for the spring growing season; a soil test will help ensure proper amounts of nutrients are being applied.

Fall is also a great time to reseed lawn that is exhibiting signs of distress. 

Touch-Up and Turn.

Author Cynthia Ewer who also blogs at organizedhome.com, believes late summer is perfect for touching up paint on trim, railings and decks. Use a wire brush to remove flaking paint, and prime bare wood first. While you're at it, Ewer says check the caulk around windows and doors, and follow manufacturer's recommendations to re-caulk if needed.

Inside, Ewer reminds homeowners to do things like turn mattresses front-to-back and end-to-end to equalize wear, while laundering or cleaning all bedding: mattress pads, pillows, duvets, blankets, comforters.

Clean Appliances. 

Kit Arbuckle, a source at care.com, says don't just clean the insides of your living spaces - clean the insides of your appliances, too! Arbuckle is an advocate of cleaning the inside of your oven, your clothes washer and dryer - even your dishwasher. Just make sure you're using a cleaner that's recommended by the manufacturers.

Purge

Kit Arbuckle also suggests that before you start your fall and holiday entertaining, deep clean your fridge, freezer, and pantry. Arbuckle says it's a perfect opportunity to throw out expired items and scrub everything.

And if you have soon-to-expire items or food you bought for a specific recipe and never used, pack up a box and drop it at your local food pantry. Arbuckle says while you're at it, rent or break out the carpet cleaner and run it on all your rugs; wherever possible, start by cleaning the floor under your rugs.

Use these tips and tricks to make the most of your Fall chores and you won't be disappointed!